KARACHI, Nov 15: The gigantic project, Karachi Milk Plant, has been made operational again, after lying closed for several years, with its formal inauguration on Friday by the Governor of Sindh, Mohammedmian Soomro.

Expressing his happiness over the revival of the project, the governor congratulated the farmers’ body, Idara-i-Kisan, an private sector body registered with the Livestock Department, and other staff, entrusted to operate the plant and wished them success.

Addressing the management and audience on the occasion, the governor said: “Today we have gathered here to witness the vision of the present government in reviving a sick project.”

He recalled that Karachi Milk Plant was established in 1965 but shut down in 1980 after suffering deficit for 15 consecutive years.

“When I realized that this plant can be revived by putting in some efforts and availing the assistance of private sector, I asked the Idara-i-Kisan to come forward and prepare a feasibility with proposals for the purpose,” Mr Soomro told the gathering.

He mentioned two ways in which the plant would benefit the people saying that the rural livestock farmers would groom their animals and produce milk for which they would get a better market. The ultimate beneficiaries, he said, would be the consumers who would be able to get hygienic milk at a reasonable price.

Describing the livestock sector as an important one like the agriculture sector, the governor said that it was the need of the day to make the dairy industry a profitable business by putting in necessary efforts.

He pointed out that the Sindh Dairy Development Board had been constituted under the chairmanship of the Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Sindh, to improve the performance of the dairy industry. The Board and its chairman have been doing an excellent job in this regard, he remarked.

He observed that Sindh has the best breeds of buffaloes and cows and the milk being produced in rural areas is much more than its local consumption.

Mr Soomro opined that due to the lack of ways and means in collection transportation of milk from rural to urban areas, the commodity could not reach the bigger cities. Thus, he said, the livestock owners were not getting proper benefits. He expressed his confidence that with the revival of the KMP and some other dairy plants, the collection and transportation system would be streamlined properly.

He pledged the government’s continued vigorous efforts, through the Sindh Dairy Development Board, to revive all the closed milk plants gradually.

The governor hoped that the initiatives taken by the government in this regard would enable the country not only to ensure provision of hygienic milk to the people but also earn foreign exchange by producing and exporting milk powder out of the surplus stocks.

He said that the provincial government was very much willing to promote the dairy industry and pointed out that the industry was at present producing hardly 50 per cent of the eight-million-litre of milk required in Karachi city. The market has a great potential for the industry, he said.

Mr Soomro disclosed that the government had decided to revive other sick dairy processing units gradually with the help and assistance of the private sector, after the proper running of the Karachi Milk Plant, for the social uplift of the rural population.

Recounting the measures to be taken for the uplift of the livestock sector, he mentioned provision of technical and financial assistance and incentives to the farmers through breeding, disease control programmes and Takawi loans. These measures, he added, would also provide job opportunities to the people of rural and urban areas.

He held out the assurance that the government would consider every possible assistance to the private sector in the rehabilitation of sick dairy units.

The governor appreciated the endeavours by the management of Idara-i-Kissan and the provincial government officers in making the revival of KMP possible.

Earlier, the provincial Agriculture Minister, Sardar Muqeem Khan Khoso, highlighted the salient features of the milk plant’s revival project.

Among others, the ceremony was also attended by the provincial Chief Secretary, K. B. Rind, and the Nazim of Karachi, Naimatullah Khan.—APP