An amount of Rs 520 million has been extended so far as loans to people under the Punjab Chief Minister's Self-Employment Programme for Livestock and Dairy Development. "The loans will not only help end the menace of unemployment but these will also help in bridging the gap between production and demand of milk and meat products in the province," provincial secretary Livestock and Dairy Development Iftikhar Ahmad told APP here.
Under the said scheme, Bank of Punjab (BoP), Punjab Provincial Co-operative Bank Limited (PPCBL), Punjab Small Industries Corporation (PSIC) and National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) are providing loans for the promotion of dairy sector, besides extending technical information to borrowers.
Iftikhar Ahmad said a diagnostic laboratory of international standards was being set up at the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) at Lahore to help Pakistan's livestock sector fare well under the WTO regime.
He said that Mobile Animal Health Services (MAHS) programme would be launched in a couple of days in four districts of the province ie Jhang, Muzaffargarh, Okara and Sahiwal, for vaccination of animals against various diseases, including Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and for treatment of different disorders.