Ministry of Livestock and Dairy Development during its first 14-month has initiated several projects costing Rs 12 billion for the development of livestock sector in the country. This was stated by the Minister for Livestock and Dairy Development (ML&DD), Mir Hammayun Aziz Kurd while inaugurating the two-day "Trilateral conference for the control of Food and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Pakistan and Afghanistan", here on Tuesday.
The event has been jointly organised by ML&DD and USAD with an aim to take the advantage of exchange of information and ideas in an inter-country experience and high tech knowledge of FMD. The conference is participating by the international delegates and experts from Pakistan, Afghanistan, USA and OIE and FAO (Rome) Italy, besides the national participants.
The minister said that Pakistan is the 5th largest milk producing country of the world adding that government has started many developmental projects to enhance livestock productivity in the country to increase its export. The government is determined to boost poultry and fishery industry by providing them financial and technical assistance to promote meat production in the country, he added.
Hammayun Kurd said that safeguard of livestock from diseases is the top priority of the government besides introduction of modern breeds under latest scientific farms. The government was also determined to provide modern education to the farmers and researchers in the country, he added.
Dr Manzoor informed that Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is one of a trans-boundary animal disease of food producing ruminants mainly causing losses in cattle and buffaloes. He said that the disease has economic implications in terms of losses and constraint towards exports. An increased demand for animal products is foreseen in developing countries over the next 20 years what is called 'Livestock Revolution', he added.
Therefore, he said that animal diseases would remain important with good animal husbandry practices to cater to such revolution. Pakistan started its rinderpest (RP) eradication programme under the Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme (GREP) and got rinderpest free status in 2007, he remarked. After the successful rinderpest eradication programme, the FAO and OIE have jointly identified FMD as the next important candidate for its progressive control leading to eradication.
The conference identified global roadmap for its control and developed a long- term vision of bringing FMD under control by year 2020. Dr Manzoor an expert in his presentation said that there are 14 countries with FMD free zones, whereas in 64 countries, the pathogen is no more in circulation and they are, therefore, FMD free countries without vaccination. However, he said more than 90 courtiers are not free from FMD and Pakistan and its neighbours fall in this group.
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