Empowering small-scale women farmers in Sri Lanka through nuclear technology

The University of Peradeniya’s Department of Farm Animal Production & Health was identified as a local counterpart and service provider in support of the introduction of nuclear techniques to bridge the gap and help empower women dairy farmers with a larger amount of high producing dairy calves. The IAEA procured the equipment, provided expert services and professional training through fellowships, scientific visits, and workshops to strengthen the capacities of the embryo transfer laboratory for increasing the production of high producing heifers and the molecular laboratory for animal genetic characterisations. Training has been provided at the IAEA’s Animal Production and Health Laboratory in Austria and by the University of Sydney Bovine Clinical Services and Total Livestock Genetics in Australia. In addition, services on animal nutrition and herd health management were provided to dairy farms. The national counterparts, including Ministry of Livestock and Rural Economy in cooperation with the IAEA supported the project’s implementation. Review missions and regular project reporting enabled monitoring of the project progress along with analytical records of the embryo laboratory, and mission reports. The success of the project is reflected on the number of embryos produced and transferred, number of pregnancies and calves born, number of high producing heifers distributed and number of animals with phenotypic data. The impact of capacity building was monitored through the number of professional personnel and farmers involved, the beneficiaries of the undertaking as well as income generated from the dairy farming.