Efforts being made to promote livestock in Balochistan

ISLAMABAD: Livestock and Dairy Development Department of Balochistan has taken a number of steps for the promotion of livestock sector in the province.

"A number of projects worth millions of rupees have been either completed or ongoing to increase the productivity of livestock, through interventions of modern technologies, husbandry animal health , research and management for poverty alleviation in the province", Muhammad Naseem Lahri Secretary Livestock Development Balochistan told APP.

Highlighting mission of the department, he said it was to ennsure expansion of animal health coverage, development of dairy industry, preservation of pure breed, veterinary education and research and poverty alleviation in the province.

He said it also aimed at women empowerment in rural poultry, veterinary services and household dairy technologies.

Further elaborating livestock situation in Balochistan, Muhammad Naseem Lehri said the province is ecologically arid and semi-arid and its contribution to GDP is 11.49 percent while its contribution to the economy of Balochistan was more than 47 percent.

He said Balochistan is under nomadic, sedentary and transhumant system and livestock has been considered a financial security in case of crops failure.

"Animal is a mobile bank for a Balochistan family and a family without the animal is said to be the poorest", he added.

Lehri said according to livestock census in Pakistan 2006 total number of animals were registered 138.09 million out of which in Balochistan the number were registered at 27.54 million or 20.01 percent animals in the provinces.

The Provincial Secretary Livestock and Dairy Development said according to 2010 census the percentage increased to 30.60 percent showing a growth of 11.27 percent in the province.

Lehri added that Construction of 6 veterinary dispensaries at PB-19,Installation od Tube Well/completion of Slaughter House Bypass Quetta and provision of modern health equipments at 6 veterinary hospitals in the provinces were some of the major projects undertaken by the department in the province.