Sustainable management of grassland resources for ruminant livestock production in Sri Lanka

Abstract

In Sri Lanka, approximately 12,000 km2 out of the total land area o f65,000 km2 are under grasslands. The use of grassland resources for livestock has a long tradition. In climatic and vegetation contrast, these grasslands are much more diverse. They are likely to play an economically vital role in livestock farming sector in Sri Lanka. With the increase of human population, these ecosystems have been acutely restricted due to various reasons associated with development activities. Therefore, a continuing need should be to maintain a broad spectrum of production and conservation, for sustainable management of the grassland resource for the future. This paper reviews the current background of the grassland resource with a purpose of livestock perspective through experiences of local studies carried out by many workers including authors. The constraints and opportunities, and policymaking and research and, development priorities for long term sustainable management are also discussed.