Comprehensive livestock policy in the offing in KP

The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is going to bring paradigm shift in policy to gradually include private veterinarians in delivering services like production of vaccines and semen while government will have to play the role of a regulator.
This has been stated in the KP Livestock Policy 2018 prepared during the last days of the previous Chief Minister Pervez Khattak led provincial government.
Under the policy, the provincial government will also make efforts to improve the veterinary/farmer interface through strengthening the extension services and livestock farmers' field schools (LFFS). Attention is paid to animal breeding and genetic resource conservation with the preservation of indigenous livestock breeds being a priority.
The livestock department will also frame strategy for forage conservation and pasture management formulated together with establishing standards for feeds and contamination. The policy also recommends a vision to have a competitive livestock industry leading to food security and commercialization based on efficient livestock marketing system. The policy encompasses allied specialized areas like transhumant livestock production system, animal welfare, climate change, gender mainstreaming and coordination at different levels.
During intensive series of consultations with stakeholders and subject matter specialists across the region, at national level workshop and meetings have identified certain challenges faced by the livestock sector.
Based on the identified key issues, the policy document is formulated with recommendations for future development of the sector. The document also provides roadmap for meeting national responsibilities and international obligations.
According to the executive summary of the policy document, the constraints relating to animal health are arguably the most serious and pressing to address; there is an urgent need to redesign the animal health and disease control programme.
To develop a new system to provide, the level of service needed required restructuring of the physical infrastructure and developing human resources at central and district level. The level of professionalism of officers at all levels will be raised by paying attention to university curriculum as well as post-graduate training, followed by a qualitative shift away from the treatment of animals into regulatory matters and disease prevention and control.
The policy has also stressed urgent need to redesign the animal health and disease control programme, policy for disease surveillance, reporting, diagnosis and epidemiological services.