LAHORE: Dutch Ambassador Marcel de Vink visited the first pedigree Dutch dairy cows in Pakistan during a visit to Nishat Dairies in Kot Sarwar near Sukheke.

Mian Mohammad Mansha, the chairman of Nishat Group, showed the ambassador 1,280 animals that had recently been flown and shipped in, and have since acclimatised very well to the Pakistani climate. Nishat dairies have now expanded their herd to over 6,000 animals.

“It is great to see for myself that these tough animals from my country now thrive in Pakistan,” said ambassador De Vink. “Their first calves born here in Pakistan are doing very well, and milk production is up already. It’s a very encouraging sign for the cattle trade between our countries that resumed last December.”

The ambassador also commended Mian Mansha for his pioneering spirit. “Nishat Dairies has taken the lead in modernising Pakistan’s dairy sector by being the first to invest in the world-class dairy cattle from the Netherlands. They now flourish in Pakistan as they have in Egypt and Iraq. I’m sure this success will arouse the interest of many farmers in Pakistan,” he said.

Mian Mansha said: “It is a pleasure to welcome His Excellency at our farms, and to show him how Nishat farms are dedicated to providing the best, safest and healthiest milk. This commitment to excellence informed our decision to choose Dutch cows. Farm Manager Steve Townsend is taking their production levels to 35-plus litre average.”

Nishat Dairy is already working closely with local farmers in genetics and training, and will work with them to import more Dutch cattle to share the costs.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2015

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