Prime Minister's plan to open new vistas in livestock sector: Tareen

Federal Minister for Production Jehangir Khan Tareen has said that the government has launched a special program 'Prime Minister's Livestock Initiatives', which will open new vistas in the livestock sector to improve production of milk and meat in the country and provide job opportunities to the jobless veterinary graduates in the far-flung areas with the aim to alleviate the rural poverty.
Talking to newsmen on phone on Sunday, he said that the government would not advance loans for establishment of livestock farms, like in the past. Instead, it would provide technical assistance to the existing or newly established farms, free of cost. For this purpose, the government has hired experts from Australia and New Zealand. He said that big firms are establishing their livestock farms of 5,000 cattle heads, "but we are patronising small farmers to raise their living standard".
He said that the government would spend Rs 2 billion on this project to facilitate the farmers, and in this way milk production might be increased by 30 to 40 percent by adopting modern technology and providing free environment to the cattle heads.
He said that the livestock sector has great opportunities for the unskilled rural population to be engaged in livestock production, which would not only provide them self-employment but their socio-economic condition would also improve.