Fattening farm owners, animal exporters: Minister for establishing direct link

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani on Tuesday instructed for establishing a direct link between owners of the fattening farms and at least 500 animal exporters across the province to supplement the government efforts to increase meat exports.

He tasked the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) with creating a digital platform to facilitate these connections, which is expected to streamline information on fattening animals and foster productivity industry clusters.

Kirmani was chairing a meeting held today to review progress on a series of key initiatives aimed at bolstering the province’s livestock sector. The meeting discussed multiple projects, including the Chief Minister Punjab Livestock Card, livestock asset distribution for rural widows and divorced women in South Punjab, and genetic improvements in livestock.

The livestock minister emphasized the significance of strengthening ties between farm owners and exporters to enhance the sector.

Highlighting the government’s commitment to the welfare of livestock farmers, the Minister noted that the Livestock Card, launched on December 5 and formally introduced by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on January 9, has already shown promising results.

The card enables farmers to access animal feed, silage, and mineral mixtures while offering interest-free loans to farmers raising male calves. With over 12,000 cards distributed and nearly 14,000 applications approved, the initiative is poised to support the livestock community further.

Additionally, a steering committee has been set up under the Chief Secretary Punjab to ensure the successful implementation of the program, which also includes a 30% cash support facility for farmers.

The Minister also pointed out the economic empowerment of women in South Punjab through the distribution of livestock assets. A total of 5,000 women will benefit in the first year through electronic and manual balloting, with an initial Rs. 5,000 deposit per account facilitated by the Bank of Punjab.

To continue progress, the Provincial Minister urged the use of media campaigns to raise awareness about the stages of the Livestock Card program, including animal tagging, vaccination, and insemination. He also reiterated the importance of enforcing the ban on the slaughter of female animals.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025