Punjab Livestock minister meets DG RVFC, discusses joint goals

LAHORE: Punjab Agriculture and Livestock Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani met with Director General Remount Veterinary and Farms Corps (RVFC) Major General Shahid Mehmood in Lahore. Director RVFC, Directorate, Rawalpindi Brigadier Rashid Iqbal and Secretary Livestock Punjab Masood Anwar were also present on this occasion.

Addressing the meeting, Major General Shahid Mehmood said that the Pakistan Army-run Center of Excellence for Bovine Genetics, Okara, Pakistan is providing research and training facilities in vitro embryo production with the aim of high-breed cow embryos breeding and development.

We want to increase meat production in the country and expand its exports to the Gulf countries, for which the supply chain will have to be improved, Director General maintained.

He endorsed that we have good breed animals but we need the cooperation of the competent team of Punjab Livestock Department to enhance the breeding process on the permanent

basis. Major General Shahid Mehmood endorsed that the recent budget of the Punjab government has allocated a lot of funds for livestock projects and farming. Allocation and investment of money for the Livestock projects and farming is being welcomed.

He said that the process of traceability and tagging of animals leads to an increase in their value, for which farmers' awareness campaign is the need of the hour. Director General Shahid Mehmood appreciated the initiative taken by the Livestock department to ban the slaughter of female animals.

He added that we have to develop our breed along with setting up genetic labs in the country to raise our good will and status internationally.

On this occasion, Provincial Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Syed Ashiq Hussain Livestock Kirmani reiterated the commitment that cooperation between Livestock Department and RVFC will continue to achieve common goals.

Chief Minister Livestock initiatives such as livestock card, foot and mouth disease control program and distribution of free animals to rural poor widows and divorced women are being successfully implemented.

A committee has been constituted to implement the projects in the Livestock sector under which the task has been given to involve the private sector in these projects.We are keenly interested in buying exotic animals to raise superior breeds of foreign bred animals in Punjab.

We are going to create zones in Punjab in which every animal will be tagged and vaccinated,Minister maintained. Six thousand animals will be tagged within two years in Punjab. Minister Agriculture and Livestock directed to issue a mechanism of rules & regulations and permit to limit them.

He directed to submit a working plan for making 1600 acres of land of Punjab Agriculture and Meat Company usable for the purpose of fattening program.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024