'Concerted efforts vital for livestock uplift'

Integrated efforts are vital to undertake livestock development activities to attain required pace of progress for strengthening of national economy.
The exploitation of the enormous potential is a must for development of livestock including inland fisheries. However, efforts must be focussed on quality and marketing aspects.
According to official sources there is a wide scope for improvement of livestock sector focusing proper attention on maintenance of disease free herds, germplasm improvement and storage arrangements for poultry products, meat, milk and other dairy products.
The country has a rich and diverse livestock sector that plays a significant socio-economic role. It accounts for about 9.7 percent of the GDP, constitutes about 10 percent of the overall export earnings and provides the livelihood to the majority of the rural population.
Although investment has been made in the sector yet a major number of issues need to be addressed which included necessary enabling environment of support services, infrastructure and markets that will allow improved productivity to take place.
The livestock sector study in Pakistan was undertaken in 1987.
Nevertheless, the complex interactions and trade-offs between supplying a growing population with livestock products, maintaining and strengthening the livelihoods of poorer rural segments of the population and earning foreign revenue require a comprehensive, updated review of the livestock sector.
The project covering all areas of the country will greatly help to improve existing provision of livestock services, eradicate diseases like rinderpest and foot and mouth disease and initiate efficient and quality production of vaccines.
The duration of the project is six years, from the date of arrival of the technical assistance in Pakistan. The implementation partners are the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and livestock which is the executing agency, represented by its Livestock Division and the provincial Departments of livestock.
The project also envisages training of field staff, strengthening of the disease reporting system, emergency field intervention, establishment of well-functioning network of epidemiological units and diagnostic laboratories will be set up, strengthened and co-ordinated.
The specific objectives are to strengthen the government's capacity of plan and manage the sustainable delivery of public services to the sector in the context of a difficult economic situation, while at the same time examining ways in which the private sector delivery of services could be improved.
The government has also started a vast programme for eradication of major diseases from cow and buffaloes including "mad cow" and "foot and mouth" diseases at a cost of Rs 1.40 billion in the country.
Cattle including goats, lambs, cow and buffaloes will be vaccinated to remove disease like cattle plague, foot and mouth and mad cow.
Livestock sector provides 25 to 30 percent of the income to the rural poor. It is a net source of foreign exchange earning and 12.3 percent exports of the country are derived from the livestock and livestock products.