The first batch of students having a four-month long training in "basic veterinary services and artificial insemination" will pass out on Monday from the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences.
The course designed by the university came up following a suggestion by the Livestock and Dairy Development Board whose Deputy Project Co-ordinator, Dr Naveed Niazi, told Business Recorder on Saturday that his board was building milk-cooling units nation-wide to promote dairy.
He said his board had already set up 48 cooling plants, including 21 in the Punjab. "The purpose of these milk-cooling units is to assist small or landless farmers for collection of milk and its marketing through these milk-cooling centres in order to improve their economic condition," he said.
He said community organisations set up in these areas would help farmers on self-help basis to collect milk and run these chillers to get better price for their product. He said his board had devised a training course with the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences to train farmers. He also said Minister for Livestock and Dairy Development Mumtaz Ahmad Khan Manais would be the chief guest at the function to pass out the first batch.