LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar has announced that the province’s first livestock policy has been prepared and would be presented before the provincial cabinet for final approval.
He was chairing a meeting in Lahore on Tuesday to review the performance of Livestock and Dairy Development Department and its future programmes.
According to local media reports, Buzdar said that the policy would ensure sustainable development of the livestock and dairy sector in the province. He also promised that veterinary doctors would be provided with house jobs.
The meeting also decided to set up a ‘Punjab Veterinary Healthcare Commission’ to check the Veterinary clinics.
Earlier, the chief minister had said that the national economy can be strengthened by developing Punjab’s livestock sector, adding that the province’s livestock sector will get a new identity as the government will re-strengthen it with international experiences and technology. “There is a strong need for attention to research and development in the livestock sector,” he added.
Earlier on Monday, a shipment of 2,078 head of cattle from the United States arrived as part of a strong partnership between the US Department of Agriculture and Pakistan’s dairy sector.
According to a local media report, roughly 95 per cent of the cattle in this year’s first shipment are US Holstein dairy cattle, which produce milk yields that are substantially higher than Holsteins imported from other countries. The remaining animals are Jersey dairy cattle, noted for their high milk fat content, and Braham beef cattle noted for their high-quality beef. All breeds have the genetic potential to adapt to Pakistan’s climate.
According to a press release of the US Embassy in Islamabad, at least two more shipments of US cattle are expected to arrive before the end of March, when the cattle shipping season will close.
