About Us

The Livestock Field Station, which is managed by the Department of Animal Science, is located in Mawelawatta, Uda Peradeniya about 2 Km away from Peradeniya.

Though the livestock farm facilities were initiated at the department in 1968, such were limited to the poultry and a hatchery located at the Department of Animal Science premises and a swine unit located at Uda-Peradeniya. Subsequently, in 1968/69, 46 acres were allocated to the department from the Dodangolla farm to establish a full-fledged Livestock Farm and it was completed in 1971. Farm facilities provided in Dodangolla, 16 miles away from the department were difficult to be utilizes for intended purposes of teaching undergraduates. Hence, in 1979 development activities were initiated in the university at Uda-Peradeniya.

Sales Unit of the Department of Animal Science was established in 1972 with the sole purpose of providing fresh farm products among the university community as well as the other consumers in the area. At the beginning the sales unit was located in old Animal Science building premises and functioned in a small scale. Since it was a more service oriented function than profit generating venture, most of the products were provided at a lower price than the normal market price. The unit also catered as an extension arm in popularizing farm products among the university community and also plays a role in developing healthy food consumption pattern. With the expansion of the facilities available at Mawela Livestock Field Station, value added/ processed products were also introduced.

The Livestock Field Station is maintained as a model farm to demonstrate livestock-bio energy-fish integration system. The total extent of farm is 100 ha. The field station includes production units of various breeds of cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, rabbits, poultry, broilers, quails, ducks, swine and a micro livestock production division, which are maintained by the Department of Animal Science for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, research and training in Animal Production.

At present, the Livestock Field Station at Uda-Peradeniya is managed by a farm manager, an assistant farm manager, one field supervisor, two dairy assistants, one farm supervisor and one salesman. In addition, there are 17 laborers and 2 drivers as well to perform day-to-day activities.

The Livestock Field Station is consisted of several units which provide various fresh farm products.

• Dairy cattle unit
• Buffalo unit
• Swine unit
• Goat unit
• Sheep unit
• Poultry unit
• Micro-livestock unit
• Meat processing unit
• Dairy product processing unit
• Sales centers

In order to provide a better service for the consumers, Sales Unit was shifted from its former location to a new location at Old Galaha road adjacent to the new administration complex in July 2007. Its new establishment got a huge consumer attraction and in order to fulfill the demand, the capacity of the unit and the range of products sold were increased. As value added products Yoghurt, Ice Cream cup and cone, milk toffee, hot milk, cold milk, flavored milk, cheese and barbeque have been introduced. In addition to its routine sales activities, the sales unit accepts orders in festival seasons. At present the Sales Unit is managed by a revolving fund under the Department of Animal Science.

Various kinds of fresh farm produce and processed dairy and meat products are sold to the surrounding community, at the Agro-Product Sales Centre located within the faculty of Agriculture premises and at the University Milk Bar located near the Faculty of Arts. Both of these sales outlets are managed by the Department of Animal Science as a service. The Department has been expanding its processing and sales activities with the recent establishment of Dairy Product Processing Centre at the Livestock Field station. In addition a milk collection network has been established involving dairy farmers in the surrounding areas, whose milk is collected daily at a relatively higher price, processed at the processing centre and sold at the above sales outlets.

A freshwater Fish unit is maintained as a model to demonstrate livestock-bioenergy-fish integrated system. An area of 30 ha of the station has been established under improved.