The Livestock and Dairy Development Board (LDDB) is establishing 300 milk cooling units across the country during next five years to help dairy farmers improve milk collection and marketing.
"Twenty-three such units are in the process of installation, mainly in areas of Punjab and North West Frontier Province (NWFP)," Chief Executive LDDB, Dr Muhammad Afzal told Business Recorder here on Wednesday.
He said that chillers were being provided for these units free of cost, which would remain board's property but would be operated by a community organisation farmed in the respective areas. "Each chiller and its installation will cost Rs 400,000 to Rs 450,000 to the board," he added. He maintained that around 450-600 farmers could take benefit of one unit, adding in Punjab the main focus was on areas like Kasur, Virkan and Mandi Bahauddin.
Dr Afzal said under this project, LDDB constituted an organisation of farmers, which collect milk from their areas, and then the Board guided them how to market this milk.
Farmers are also provided some incentives from these units like vaccination, de-worming and other services like veterinary cover and breeding facility, he added and said that advice on feed and fodder of milk producing animals was also being extended to have better milk production.
He said the Board was constituted to plan, promote, facilitate and co-ordinate accelerated development of and investment in livestock and dairy sectors. He said LDDB is implementing four different projects including meat development, dairy development, improving reproduction efficiency and small holders dairy, saying that in meat development, emphasis was on setting up of feedlot fattening farms, production of superior quality male, and others.
Dr Afzal said the board would also start a study with the help of Australia to improve the condition of small-holder dairy and in the first year it would be launched in Bhakkar and Okara districts of the province on how production by small holders (farmers having two or more animals) could be increased.
During first year mistakes would be pointed out and in the following year, farmers will be guided and advised how to remove these mistakes to improve their productivity, he added.
Meanwhile, Dr Afzal held a meeting with a two-member delegation of the World Bank working on waste management of slaughter houses. He told the delegation about the activities being carried out by the LDDB for improving the livestock and dairy production as well as economic situation of the farmers. Deputy Project Co-ordinator Dr Naveed Niazi was also present during the meeting.