The United States Consul General Yuriy Fedkiw on Monday inaugurated the Pakistan's first commercial-size biogas plant at the government-owned Bahadurnagar Farm in Okara. The Minister for Livestock and Dairy Development Department, Punjab Asif Saeed Manais was also present on the occasion. Joining these dignitaries were Lollywood singers and dancers, bringing a bit of glamour to biogas technology.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Nestle Pakistan, working together through the Dairy and Rural Development Foundation (DRDF), collaborated with the Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development in the construction of this biogas unit. The plant will yield significant benefits including electricity generation for agricultural production, cooking gas, and manure production. "Promoting energy efficiency and scaling up renewable energy requires an effective and supportive enabling environment. Today's ceremony highlights the importance of alternative energy resources, not just in Pakistan, but globally as well," said Consul General Fedkiw. "Establishing biogas units in rural communities is an efficient and effective way of meeting local energy needs by utilising renewable resources," he added.
"The Government of Punjab is committed to resolve the energy crisis which has adversely impacted the agriculture and industrial sectors. The vast potential of biogas should be explored further to provide an alternative to 122 million people in Punjab without a reliable source of energy," the Minister said. "With the help of USAID and DRDF, this biogas unit will serve as a model for investors and rural communities to replicate, and reduce reliance on firewood or dung cakes for cooking and heating," he further added.
Speaking on the occasion, DRDF chief executive officer, Ahmed Sajjad said that his organisation through the dairy project has been transforming the dairy sector by promoting breed improvement and dairy farming skill development.
"In addition, we are addressing the energy needs of rural communities through our biogas plant initiative. This plant is a continuation of the dairy project's successful pilot intervention of 50 cubic meter biogas unit constructed for a dairy co-operative at district Vehari."
USAID's five-year, $21 million dairy project has improved the lives of more than 50,000 small dairy farmers in Punjab by improving livestock productivity and increasing dairy farmer incomes by at least 10 percent. Also joining in the Lollywood fun at the ceremony were Chairman Nestle Pakistan Ltd, Syed Yawar Ali, DCO Okara, Soqrat Aman, DPO Okara, Faisal Rana, Assistant Commissioner Okara, and Senior Development Advisor USAID/Lahore Sajjad Moghal. Other attendees included Chief of Party, Jack Moser, the District Co-ordination Officer for Okara, and representatives from the academia and dairy industry.-PR
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