National livestock, dairy development policy on the cards

Federal Minister for Livestock and Dairy Development Mir Hammyun Aziz Kurd has disclosed that the government is formulating a National Livestock and Dairy Development Policy for development of livestock, fisheries and dairy sectors.
To revolutionise the livestock and diary sector more than Rs 10 billion will be incurred in current year on development the sector at grass root level, the minister said while addressing a seminar held in Islamabad on the occasion of World Animal Day.
The seminar was organised by the Ministry of Livestock and Dairy Development, on the eve of World Animal Day. NWFP Minister for Live stock, Hidayatullah Khan, Federal Secretary, Ministry of Livestock and Dairy Development, Mohammad Ali Afridi, prominent scholars Dr Muneer Akram, Dr Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Dr Qurban Ali presented their research papers on the activities of government and private sector in development of the Livestock, Fisheries and Dairy sectors.
"Our rural population is playing very vital role in milk improvement and the government has planned to spent Rs 3 billion on milk improvement projects in rural areas", the minister said.
He said 12 development projects are in progress while various proposals are under consideration of the government. He said the government would encourage public private partnership in development of the Livestock and Dairy sector.
He said the ministry is working on setting eighty modern slaughter houses in the country besides the "Establishment of Hala Certification" to ensure supply of Halal meat in the local and to enter international market.
He said, the Ministry has planned to spend one Rs1.5 percent billion on food certification projects as well as for the further promotion of camel farming in the country.
Livestock Minister of NWFP, Hidayatullah Khan said co-ordination and co-operation is very important in the development of the sector for which provincial government is also working hard.
Federal Secretary, Mohammad Ali Afridi in his address stressed on the need to adopt modern management techniques to make this sector a profitable agriculture industry.
He said that the under Prime Minister's directives, Ministry of Livestock and Dairy development has established different task forces which comprise of all stakeholders including private sectors to formulate proposal and recommendations in short possible time.
He said Livestock plays an important role in the economy of the country, which contributed approximately 51.8 per cent of the agriculture value-added and 11.3 per cent to GDP during 2008-09.