Sri Lanka will import 5,000 heads of high yield cattle from Australia in May to boost local dairy production, Rural Economic Development Minister P. Harrison told Xinhua.

"They are being reared at the government farms. We will get their offspring hopefully by next year. We will import another 5,000 in May to be distributed among farmers,” the Minister said.

"We will plan for more imports of cattle from Australia depending on the success of this project, " he said.

Sri Lanka produces only 40 per cent of its dairy requirements. The rest is imported from other countries such as New Zealand.