Speakers at a conference said that population of horses is decreasing with large pace in the country, while other countries like India are investing in it and getting foreign exchange by exporting horses. Keeping in view, it was need of the hour to promote best breeds of horses and adopt states-of-the-art practices in order to strengthen the human friendly animal breeds to earn money.
The workshop titled 'Equine Breeding' was arranged at Iqbal Auditorium, UAF in a bid to provide a platform to farming community to interact with the agricultural scientists. The conference was presided over by UAF Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan while Remount Veterinary and Farms Corps (RVFC) Director General Imtiaz Hussain Sherazi was the guest of honour on the occasion.
Director General Imtiaz Hussain Sherazi said the horses helped transport the food and other things to the Army officials working at the hilly areas where use of other means of transportation was not possible whereas other means like helicopter were expensive one.
He said horses had served the people for transportation in the time of peace and war. He said his department had also set up laboratory to provide medical facility for the horses and working on horse riding academy to impart training to the masses in this regard.
UAF Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said the Horse and Cattle Show at the campus in the full swings in which more than 1,000 horses had been brought to promoting best breeds of the horses and cattle. He called for completing the registration of horses that was vital in the context of commercialisation in international markets.
"We can also get the blood sample of the horses that can be used in research and maintaining the gene mapping of the animal," he said, adding the university had the pride to introduce first of its kind, DVM degree, in the country. He said the university was committed to providing quality education and solving the problems of the people especially farming community by conducting high-level researches and imparting trainings to increase the productivity of the country.
District Remount Officer Mehboob Ahmad Butt said that horses were in the high demand world-wide whereas "our horses are the unique one so heavy foreign exchange can be earned by investing in its breeding and promotion." He said it was the need to expedite the research work on the diseases being faced by the animal. Faculty of veterinary Sciences Dean Professor Dr Laeeq Akbar Lodhi said "our clinical scientists had also busy in outreach programmes with ambulatory clinics to some villages."
He said it provided opportunity to the farming community to enhance people to people and experts contact. Equine expert Naeem Ullah said it was the matter of concern that the country was not having any horse policy that must be framed. He said the country was having only 2,000 desi horses that was a grave concern, adding that collaborated efforts were needed to address the issue.