By Ifham Nizam
The Peradeniya University, and other research centres, will conduct laboratory tests to determine the exact causes of the sudden deaths of a large number of farm animals in the Northern and Eastern Provinces recently.
The Livestock Division of the Ministry of Agriculture yesterday said that the number of cows, buffaloes and goats that have died in the northern and eastern provinces, exceeded 1,660 by noon, yesterday.
Some officials claim that the unusual weather changes, reported in recent days, may be the cause, hinting these animals are mostly suited for dry zone, in the country, unlike their cousins in Australia and New Zealand.
Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has instructed the Secretary of the Ministry, Gunadasa Samarasinghe to complete the task.