HYDERABAD: Punjab Minister for Livestock Sardar Hasnain Bahadur Dareshak has said that Pakistan needs to take optimum advantage of its natural resources.

He said Pakistan has the competitive advantage in terms of natural resources like water, soil, agriculture, etc adding: “We need to achieve required efficiency in these resources and livestock sector.”

He was speaking as the chief guest at a ceremony on the second day of the Livestock Expo 2021 organised by the Sindh livestock department in the Hatri Bypass ground on Sunday.

MPAs Sharjeel Inam Memon, Qasim Siraj and others were also present.

Mr Dareshak appreciated Sindh Livestock Minister Abdul Bari Pitafi’s efforts for bringing and gathering breeders, farmers, agriculturists and technical experts under one umbrella through this exhibition.

Punjab minister visits Livestock Expo 2021 in Hyderabad

He said as a child he still remembered the famous ‘Horse and Cattle Show’ that used to be held in Lahore.

He said unless Pakistan got maximum advantage of natural resources desired progress in other sectors would elude the country. He said that Pakistan was said to be the fourth biggest producer in the world in terms of livestock, meat and milk production.

“But we need to be efficient with our herd as well. We should endeavour to achieve desired efficiency in this fourth or fifth largest herd in the world,” he said.

He said his counterpart in Sindh got required skills and expertise.

Sindh Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, speaking as the guest of honour, said he was told by experts that it was the biggest expo after California.

He said it was a process that gave knowledge and awareness. He said the expo was started by Jam Khan Shoro but Mr Pitafi had improved considerably as he himself was an agriculturist and farmer and had introduced his own breeds in livestock. “Every year the expo is showing progress.” Mr Pitafi said all activities relating to the expo were taking place under one roof.

Souvenirs and shields were also presented among guests by the minister.

Seminar

Addressing a technical seminar during the Sunday deliberations of the expo, Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah said that livestock had got its own potential but usually it was clubbed with agriculture.

He said this sector deserved special attention and needed enhancement in budgetary allocations as an independent sector.

The chief secretary said it was an international level expo where farmers, investors and breeders could be benefited alike. He said this sector was neglected as the Sindh government had focused on public-private partnership projects in health and education sectors.

He advised the livestock department to link their projects with public-private partnership model to make progress. He said that the private sector should be encouraged to invest in the rural areas of Sindh.

Mr Shah also took a round of the expo along with the ministers.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2021