KARACHI: The three-day Sindh Livestock Expo 2021 is to be held at Hatri bypass in Hyderabad on March 13-15.

This was announced by Sindh Minister for Information Syed Nasir Hussain Shah while speaking as guest of honour at the soft launch of the expo’s second edition here on Saturday, according to a handout.

“The first edition was a success ... it was one of the complete expos after the world famous California exhibition and was recognised at the national and international level,” he said.

The second edition is being organised by the provincial livestock department in collaboration with departments of information, tourism, agriculture and sports and youth affairs, the minister said and congratulated Engineer Abdul Bari Pitafi and his team for making the holding of the event possible.

He hoped that the second edition would provide great opportunities to stakeholders to give a boost to their businesses by using latest technology and modern methods of farming.

Minister for Agriculture Mohammad Ismail Rahu told the audience that such exhibitions highlighted issues of livestock, which was one of the major sectors of the national economy but unfortunately ignored.

He pointed out that population of arid zone solely depended on livestock, and urged the public and private sectors to make joint efforts for its promotion in order to help improve the national economy and lives of millions of people.

Abdul Bari Pitafi said that the aim of holding the soft launch of the expo in Karachi was to attract investment in this sector through foreign missions and livestock-related firms. The expo would serve as a bridge to connect foreign missions, big businesses, farmers, progressive growers and other stakeholders of the livestock sector, the livestock minister said.

“We [will be] presenting 40 breeds of goat and 12 breeds of buffaloes and cows at the expo’s second edition, he said.

Others who were present at the ceremony included the Consul General of Thailand at Karachi Tharee Chauvachatta, livestock secretary Qazi Aijaz Mahesar, director general of tourism Aleem Lashari, Karachi Dairy Farmers Association general secretary Mohammad Mukhtar, farmers’ representative Shakir Umar Gujjar and owner of the largest buffalo farm in Sindh Jameel Memon.

Earlier Qazi Aijaz Mahesar welcomed the guests and explained the aims and objectives of the second edition of the expo.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2021