ISLAMABAD, March 16: The European Commission (EC) will provide Rs1.2 billion for livestock project in Pakistan, under a pact signed between Islamabad and the commission here on Saturday.

The EC has agreed to fund the plan by approving a grant equivalent to 22.900 million euros. The duration of the project is six years, from the date of arrival of the technical assistance in Pakistan.

The project aims at developing potential of the livestock sector, improving existing provision of livestock services, eradicating diseases— like rinderpest, and foot-and-mouth disease— and initiating efficient and quality production of vaccines.

At the signature ceremony held at the economic affair division, EC Ambassador Kurt Juul and Nawid Ahsan, secretary economic affairs division concluded the contract. It was presided over by the Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Khair Mohammad Junejo.

The implementation partners are Food, Agriculture and Livestock Ministry, which is an executing agency represented by its livestock division, and the provincial departments’ in-charge of livestock.

The first year of the project will be dedicated to strengthening of the organisational structures, procedures (training, setting up of data bases and reporting systems, etc.), and to carrying out many studies and surveys. Immediate beneficiaries from the project are national, provincial and, eventually, district livestock services, while the ultimate beneficiaries are the farmers, particularly smallholders, whose livelihoods will be improved.

Animal nutrition, feed supply strategies (especially fodder supply), together with the improvement of markets and marketing systems for internal as well as for export needs, are other essential components of the plan.