Ridiyagama Farm Ridiyagama Farm was established in the year 1938 by the then Department of Agriculture. Under the Department of Agriculture the Farm was managed efficiently. There was 1000ha of well managed pasture and fodder, which was fed to 1500 heads of Buffaloes. The main objective of this Farm was to breed and manage Murrah breed of buffaloes and also to carry out a planned cropping program. This objective was achieved in an efficient manner. Subsequently the farm was taken over by the Department of Animal Production & Health in 1977 and due to various reasons the productivity of the farm dropped and the operations were neglected. During 1980’s with the start of illicit Gemming the situation was further aggravated. The farm was so neglected, that not only the valuable pasture lands reversed back to think jungle but the buildings were also in a deplorable condition. The herd productivity and efficiency also suffered. The 1000 pots of curd the Department of Agriculture produced for a day came down to a couple of hundreds. During the last quarter of 1988 with the onset of insurgent activities the Farm received the final blow. In the year 1992, this neglected and finance starved farm was handed over to the NLDB and the Board was forced to spend a colossal amount of money for its development. There was thick jungle, emaciated herd of Murrah Buffaloes and dilapidated buildings and equipment. The available grazing lands were not more than 75ha. And most of the areas were dug up for gems and pits were left open. Due to the danger of losing animals NLDB had to spend Rs.2-3M. to close up these pits and clear 435ha of thick jungle by the use of dozers. Yet more money was spent on fencing the land and strengthening the boundary fences. With limited resources and a dedicated staff, NLDB was able to bring this farm to the present status. Due to the limited rainfall it was difficult to undertake large extent of pasture planting, especially, when planting was done with cuttings. Being the only Buffalo Farm in the southern area this farm has to play a pivotal role in the development of the Livestock Industry in the region. It should be mentioned that one half of the only large herd of Murrah Buffaloes the country owns, is managed at this farm. This herd is a National Treasure and has to be given due protection and support Soil and Climate Climate is arid in nature and the mean temperature is 27ºC. Humidity is around 70% to 80% and the annual rainfall is around 1000mm to 2500mm over 60 to 100 wet days. Soil type is Reddish Brown. Ph. of the soil varies from 5.5 to 6.5. Manager Mr. T. Vidanapathirana