Engro Foods, PSDF sign 'The Big Push' dairy project

Engro Foods and the Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) on Tuesday signed 'The Big Push Project' which aims at training 9,000 plus farmers in modern animal husbandry practices, with a focus on increasing milk production and incomes. In order to provide complementary services such as health and nutrition, the programme will also train micro entrepreneurs in livestock extension skills, village milk collection skills and artificial insemination skills.
Furthermore, to create milk potential and enhance skills within the sector, the programme will also train labourers in medium sized farms as supervisors. The programme will be implemented in 60 villages across Muzaffargarh, Lodhran, Bahawalpur and Bahwalnagar which have been identified as some of the poorest districts in the country. It is envisaged that this intervention will result in improvement of milk yield and quality thus benefiting small farmers with better prices and increasing livelihood. To monitor the impact of this project and to support government policy formulation through evidence based data, PSDF has engaged the Centre of Economic Research Pakistan (CERP), headed by lead academics Dr Asim Khawaja from Harvard University and Dr Ali Cheema from LUMS.
Disclosing this at a press conference here, Hans Laarakker CEO Engro Foods, a part of the global Dutch giant Royal Friesland Campina (RFC) said: "We are pleased to enter into this agreement with the Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF). When the Government, academia and the private sector come together, real progress can be made. Dairy development and helping small dairy farmers is a key focus of our Company and it ensures our consumers get high quality and nutritious milk. With the Big Push Project, we aim at training 9,000 plus farmers in modern animal husbandry practices, 550 micro entrepreneurs in entrepreneurship skills, and 150 farm labourers from medium sized farms. This will contribute significantly to the development of small farmers in the region and reflects our dedication to develop the dairy industry in Pakistan with the Government of Punjab." Dr Ijaz Nabi, Chairman of the Punjab Skills Development Fund said that upgrading livestock skills was a key to improving livelihood in rural areas.