Pakistan is blessed with rich Indigenous Farm Animal Resource (FAnGR) which could be exploited for enhancement of productivity keeping in view the emerging food security challenges, this was stated by the speakers at 3-day workshop on Country Based Indigenous Domestic Animal Genetic Resource Information System (DAGRIS) for Pakistan organised by the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad in collaboration with GEF-UNEP-ILRI FAnGR Asia Project on Thursday at New Senate Hall of the University.
Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan Vice Chancellor UAF was the chief guest while Dr Tadelle Dessie Alemayehu, Expert from International Livestock Institute (ILRI) Nairobi (Kenya) was the guest of honour, Professor Dr Muhammad Sarwar, Dean, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and National Project Director spoke on the occasion. Dr Iqrar A Khan said that world has become a global village and people are being benefited with each other's experiences in order to cope with future challenges. He urged the scientists to join hands to minimise the threats of food insecurity to the population of the world by utilising all resources.
Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that Collated information on the extent and use of existing diversity in indigenous Farm Animal Genetic Resource was the basis for their present and future sustainable utilisation and conservation. He added that such information is generally incomplete in developing countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Vietnam otherwise rich in genetic diversity of indigenous FAnGR.
He was of the view that Research Institutes in these countries are needed to develop and maintain systematic Information systems in order to support improved utilisation and breeding improvement. Dr Tadelle Dessie Alemayehu said that African counties are obtaining animal breeding resources from America and Europe but Pakistani Genetic resource could be more suitable for them. He added that ILRI had been developing DAGRIS as web-based electronic source of information on selected indigenous animals which could be exploited for food security as well.