Producing quality meat for export: need stressed to set up disease-free zone for animals

The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) vice-chancellor Dr Muhammad Nawaz has stressed the need of establishing disease free zone for animals which will be helpful in producing quality meat for export. He was talking to four member Australian delegation led by Programme Co-ordinator Australian Support Linkages Programme (ASLP) Greoge Jhoson at UVAS on Saturday.
He also said that Pakistani livestock sector has a great potential of worth Rs 300 billion. He also said that livestock sector was contributing approximately 53.4 percent of the agriculture value-added and 11.4 percent to national GDP. Despite a plethora of challenges, he said, the livestock industry was surprisingly growing by 4.1 percent and cattle population had grown up to 65 million in 2009-2010.
Dr Nawaz said that Pakistan could earn a huge foreign exchange of Rs 60 billion by culling 20 million low productive animals through export of Halal meat which can save 0.75 million tons of fodder and water which would be used by better productive animals.
Vice Chancellor also said that culled animals would be replaced with good quality animals where financing is involved through banks. Good quality animals are to be produced by enhanced reproductive biotechnologies. Commenting on livestock growth, he said 70 percent population is dependent on 3 to 5 animals but they do not have any proper awareness about hygiene and management. By adopting good management practices the small farmer could increase 25 to 50 percent of milk and meat production.
While discussing with Australian delegation he said that major constraints in livestock sector which includes lack of genetic improvement, poor nutrition, health constraints, un-organised marketing and lack of human resource of various level for example veterinarian, para vet, dairy supervisors, skilled labourer. Professor Dr Muhammad Nawaz briefed the delegation about the development work in university and its quantum jump in research publication got 12th position out of 82 public and Private Sector Universities.
He also briefed the delegation about the relief activities done by UVAS volunteers in flood affected areas of southern Punjab. He said that UVAS University Diagnostic Laboratory was fully equipped with state of art facilities and internationally accredited lab. The UVAS brilliant scientists have diagnosed a mysterious disease that caused the death of 4,000 camels in Cholistan.
The visiting foreigner appreciated the UVAS Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Muhammad Nawaz's vision and extraordinary effort to train manpower and human resource development for self-reliance in biology. They also lauded the university's contribution in flood affected areas. Other members of the delegation, which were present on the occasion were professors from University of Canberra Miss Sandera, John Sprigs and ASLP co-ordinator Munawar Raza Kazmi and project director ASLP Hassan Warraich.