A three-member United States Department of Agriculture delegation on Friday called upon University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Muhammad Nawaz and discussed about 'national project on animal health for controlling Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)' in Pakistan, and the varsity's contribution towards rehabilitation of livestock in the flood-stricken areas.
US Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) Attache Rey Sanpella, Senior Agriculture Specialist USDA Asmat Raza and Marketing Specialist Rashid Raja held discussions with Pakistani academia and veterinarian experts to develop a comprehensive policy regarding FMD control for benefiting the livestock sector of Pakistan.
On the occasion, Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Muhammad Nawaz briefed the delegation about academia, research development and extension activities of the varsity. Professor Dr Nawaz said UVAS volunteer students have vaccinated almost 75,000 animals and treated 10,000 small and large animals on their indigenous resources and rescued both humans and animals. UVAS students distributed 0.1million human medicines as well as Rs one million worth veterinary medicine in Southern Punjab, he added. The VC deliberated upon the vibrant role of livestock sector, which is contributing approximately 53.4 per cent of agriculture value addition and 11.4 per cent to national GDP. Despite a plethora of challenges, he said, the livestock industry is surprisingly growing by 4.1 per cent and cattle population has grown by 65 million in 2009-10.
He informed that the varsity has developed research collaboration and signed 21 MoUs with many national and international institutions to upgrade the standard of education. He said the varsity is making untiring efforts to provide quality education within the available resources. He enlightened that UVAS is taking part in relief efforts in the flood-stricken areas and sending mixed ration and preventive vaccine for 80 per cent large and small animals under proper management.
Commenting on the importance of livestock, Professor Dr Nawaz said UVAS is the national based university and making effort for the development of livestock sector and producing professional manpower to uplift the national exchequer. The UVAS is playing an effective role in the leather, poultry, meat and dairy technology. Its administration is continuously striving to improve education system, adding that the launch of online examinations of students for the cause of transparency is one of many achievements.
He revealed that the varsity has the facility of feed analysis and milk analysis to judge the quality of food, adding that UVAS offers various diploma courses especially one-year dairy supervisor and lady livestock workers to address unemployment issue in the country. He disclosed that the varsity is introducing six new degree programmes for graduate level and offering Masters and PhD programmes in 22 disciplines.
The VC said 309 faculty members are fulfilling their job duties to educate students and varsity's student enrolment has gone up to 2,600 as against 600 some three years ago. Almost 45 per cent veterinarian students of final year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) are grabbing a major share of employment in renowned national and international private companies.