A three-day workshop for livestock officials from SAARC countries was held on August 24, 25 and 26 at the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel in Colombo, with the aim of strengthening women’s contribution to improving the nutritional status of people in the SAARC region and enhancing livestock production.
The training workshop was conducted under the leadership of the SAARC Agriculture Centre, based in Nepal. A total of 38 participants, including government livestock and animal production officials and representatives of non-governmental organizations from Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives, took part in the programme. The workshop was organized by the Department of Animal Production and Health.
The workshop provided a platform to discuss the nutritional status of people in the region; current trends in the consumption of milk, eggs and animal-based proteins; challenges to the development of livestock farming; the role of women in household livestock management; and regional actions that could be taken to strengthen women’s contribution to improving livestock production and household nutrition.
Representing Sri Lankan institutions, Mr. Fazly Mohamed, Project Manager of LOAM, participated in the workshop.
At the conclusion of the workshop, the participants took part in a field visit. They visited LOADI Grove, the ecological agriculture training centre operated by LOAM, along with its four-acre ecological farming demonstration site. During the visit, the participants observed the Analog forest farming system, forest home gardens, the medicinal garden, the organic inputs production unit, as well as the goat and poultry farming units.
The participants also had the opportunity to observe and purchase products from LOAM farmer groups. They were also given the opportunity to enjoy a traditional local meal.
