Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaz Elahi has assured to resolve the issues faced by the dairy farmers of province on priority basis.
He was talking to a delegation of dairy farmers association including Rashid Haleem of Ever Fresh Farms, Anjum Zafar of Eastern Dairies, Faizan Elahi of Sapphire Dairies, Muhammad Kaleem of Athoor Limited and Haroon MK Lodhi of Corporate Dairy Farmers Association which called on him at his office here on Monday.
The delegation apprised the chief minister about the problems of the livestock and dairy farming sector and prayed for early resolution of the issues.
CM Pervaz Elahi issued instructions to resolve the issues and imposed a ban on the interprovincial transportation of maize in Punjab. The maize would not be taken out of the province to meet the needs of livestock, especially the poultry industry and dairy farming.
This decision would benefit the local poultry industry by meeting its needs; he said and added that instructions have been issued to the DPOs and deputy commissioners of the respective districts to prevent the transportation and movement of maize on the exit routes of Punjab.
He also directed the livestock department to prepare the provincial livestock policy in consultation with the stakeholders. A committee was also formed under Provincial Livestock Minister Sardar Shahabuddin to formulate a livestock policy.
The committee would include manufacturers and farmers of the livestock and dairy farming sector.
The chief minister stated that the Punjab government would prepare locally effective vaccines to protect animals from diseases and added that the private sector would also be included in this.
He also tasked the VC UVAS to prepare the local vaccine in six months and added that the animals would be vaccinated every year to protect them from diseases.
He directed the livestock department to prepare a timetable for the vaccination of diseases and said that the staff should regularly conduct field visits to keep an eye on animal diseases.
CM Pervaz Elahi said that the Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development Board would be activated and it would be reconstituted to include experts. Consultants will be hired from local universities to promote livestock and dairy farming at the grassroots.
The federal government would not do anything; he regretted and announced that the Punjab government would also buy vaccines from abroad.
Provincial Livestock Minister Sardar Shahabuddin, Rasikh Elahi, Principal Secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti, former BoP president Hamesh Khan, secretaries of livestock and food departments, VC University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Prof. Dr Naseem Ahmad, DG livestock (production) ) and others were also present.
