TAXILA: Punjab Minister for Livestock Sardar Husnain Bahadur Dreshak on said besides providing better facilities to people at the cattle markets, taxes had been waived on the sale and purchase of sacrificial animals.

He expressed these views during his visit to cattle markets of Hassanabdal and Attock to monitor facilities being provided there to buyers there.

The minister said the provincial government was providing all possible facilities to people in cattle markets.

He said cattle markets had been established outside the city limits this year to contain the spread of coronavirus during Eidul Azha.

He was of the view that people should take all precautionary measures while visiting these markets to avoid the spread of coronavirus.

He said the government was giving priority to raise the export volume of livestock and dairy products to earn foreign exchange. He said with the collaboration of private sector, livestock farms could be developed as per the models of developed countries. The minister said that livestock, agriculture and irrigation departments were linked with each other, adding that there was a need to bring livestock from informal to formal sector.

Responding to a question, he said Congo’s situation is under control in the province as the government had taken various measures to check its spread.

He confirmed that due to multiple market factors, the prices of the sacrificial animals were exorbitant compared to last year’s prices.

On this occasion, he directed the officials of local administration to strictly implement Covid-19 and Congo virus SOPs to check their spread.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2021