April 25, 2008	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 18, 1429

HYDERABAD, April 24: Australian veterinary experts were keen to conduct research into animal diseases in Pakistan under an agreement recently signed between Pakistan and Australia for the development of dairy technology and exchange of experts, said Dr David N.C. Gill on Thursday.

Dr David, who is a member of the Australian team, which is on a study tour of Tandojam Central Veterinary Laboratory, said that they had detected many diseases in the livestock of the province and found it necessary to conduct research into the diseases.

He said in his address to veterinary experts at the laboratory that the new government was taking keen interest in the development of livestock and dairy industry which would produce good and lasting results.

The director of the laboratory, Dr Mohammad Naseem Arain, said that his organisation was engaged in serious research to prevent diseases in livestock. “We are preparing vaccines to check and prevent contagious and other diseases in animals,” he said.

Livestock owners were deriving maximum benefits from the extensive research made so far into increasing production of milk and meat, he said.

He said that the provincial minister for livestock had directed to set up the units of the laboratory at district level to provide necessary facilities to livestock owners at their doorsteps and work on the project would start soon.

Another Australian expert, Dr Charles, said that the laboratory was a very important organisation, which was conducting research on animal diseases and the preparation of vaccine.

He expressed the hope that the establishment of laboratory units at district level would go a long way in the prevention of diseases and increasing milk and meat production as well as improving their quality.

The director of vaccine product project, Jameel Ahmed Shaikh, said that research on various animal diseases and preparation of vaccines had produced excellent results.