The Punjab Agriculture Research Board (PARB) Executive Committee has recommended two projects for enhancing performance of buffalo through improved feeding management and enhancement of cost effective mutton production for final approval by the Board.
The Executive Committee approved these two projects at its 27th meeting held here on Friday with the Chief Executive PARB Dr Mubarik Ali in the chair. The first project entitled "Enhancing performance of buffalo through improved feeding management at different physiological stages up to lactation (60 months duration)"cost 20.634 million out of which 1.580 million will be shared by ALBURAQ feeds Manufacturing Company.
Dr Mubarik Ali giving detail of this project said that we want to involve companies in research so that healthy benefit can be achieved from their contribution. Malnutrition is one of the major constraints in improving the production performance of buffalo. The demand of high quality food such as dairy products is increasing and putting pressure on milk prices. There is an ample scope to boost dairy sector by enhancing productivity of buffalo, as it is major contributor of milk production through selection of better animals, employing contemporary feeding, housing, reproduction and improved general management.
This project will develop technology to decrease calf mortality and calving interval, increased growth rate and lifetime productivity in buffaloes, Dr Mubarik added. The second project "Enhance-ment of cost effective mutton production through genetically enhanced prolificacy management (48 months)" cost 12.988 million. In Pakistan small ruminants play an important role and contribute significantly to the income of rural farmers. In order to increase the production of meat, modern technology can be applied through the establishment of high producing animals/flocks.