About Us
Overview
The Department of Animal Production and Health (DAPH) is the state organization responsible for providing technical leadership and support services for the development of livestock Industry in Sri Lanka. The DAPH is located in Peradeniya, in the Hill Capital of Kandy, Sri Lanka is being currently functioned under the Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries.
The DAPH was established under the Ministry of Rural Industrial development in September 1978 in realizing the having of separate government organization for the development of livestock sector to improve socio economic status in rural community in Sri Lanka through livelihood development and increase availability of animal originated food for country.
The DAPH presently operates through its six (06) technical divisions such as Animal Health, Animal Breeding, Veterinary Research, Human Resource Development, Livestock Planning and Economics, Veterinary Regulatory Affair and two (02) support services divisions Administration and Finance. In addition to provision of technical expert services, the DAPH implements regulatory activities under the Animal disease Act, Animals Act, Veterinary Surgeon’s Practitioner’s Act and Animal Feed Act pertaining to the livestock sector.
With the establishment of Provincial Councils in 1988 most of field level functions were devolved to nine (09) Provincial Departments of Animal Production and Health (PDAPH) headed by the Provincial Directors. Three Hundred Thirty Seven (337) field veterinary offices scattered throughout the country, which are functioned under the PDAPH providing veterinary services to the stack holder in Livestock industry. Divisional Veterinary Offices managed by Veterinary Surgeons are the main functional units of the DAPH. The DAPH provides technical expertise and back-up services to provincial DAPH in order to ensure keeping of healthy Livestock Population and providing quality and safe animal originated food products to the country.
Our Strategies
1. Assure an efficient preventive and curative animal health service.
2. Promote optimal utilization of animal genetic resources.
3. Enhance utilization of quality animal feeds and feed resources.
4. Promote growth and development of the animal feed industry.
5. Conduct research and development towards a sustainable livestock industry.
6. Develop technically competent human resources.
7. Ensure efficient and effective information dissemination and technology transfer.
8. Formulate, monitor and evaluate livestock development projects and programs.
9. Assure safety of products of animal origin.
10. Promote and facilitate good animal husbandry practices.
11. Ensure welfare and wellbeing of animals.
12. Ensure efficient management of departmental activities.
Director General - Department of Animal Production and Health
The Department of Animal Production and Health (DAPH) is a state technical organization that provides technical leadership to maintain the food security (food availability, food affordability and food safety) of food of animal origin such as milk, meat and eggs. Moreover, facilitation of the livestock farming as a livelihood and as an enterprise is another key responsibility.
The central DAPH (CDAPH) provide technical guidance for said main purposes through it’s technical arms of Veterinary Research, Animal Health, Animal Breeding, Livestock Planning and Economics, Human Resource Development. Additionally, the CDAPH is responsible for Veterinary Public Health (VPH), Animal Feed Resource Development (AFRD) and coordination of livestock extension. The provincial DAPH (PDAPH) implements all the extension activities to the grass root level.
The DAPH is instrumented with legal backing of Animals Act (No.29 of 1958), Animal Feed Act (No.15 of 1986) and Animal Disease Act (No.59 of 1992) and Pasture Development and Pasture Land Preservation Act (No.15 of 1982) to perform its duties. A total of 337 Government Veterinary Officers (GVO) which operates under the provincial DAPH (p DAPH) are the functional units of implementing these acts.
The DAPH closely work with the private sector as Private Public Partnerships (PPP), also with international organizations such as OIE, WTO, WHO, FAO, IAEA, IPPC and with other non-governmental organizations to enhance the productivity and efficiency of the sector.
I wish DAPH would able to maximize it’s potential to reach the livestock sector goals as a prominent sector that makes significant contribution to the national economy.
Dr. (Mrs) K.A.C.H.A.Kothalawala
