PESHAWAR: The provincial government has finalised Chief Minister’s Integrated Livestock Development Programme to put the livestock sector on modern lines and enhance production of meat, milk and poultry in the province.

The five-year programme would be implemented with an estimated cost of Rs67 billion under which short-term, mid-term and long-term projects would be started to enhance dairy productions on commercial lines, according to a statement issued here on Wednesday.

It said that a meeting of livestock department was held here on Wednesday with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair. Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Amjad Ali Khan, Agriculture Secretary Israr Khan, Planning and Development Secretary Shah Mahmood, Livestock Director General Alamzeb and other officials attended the meeting.

The meeting was told that under the programme, short-term, mid-term and long-term projects were proposed in 10 sectors of the livestock including interventions to enhance production of meat, milk and poultry and take initiatives to effectively control foot mouth diseases (FMDs).

It was informed that under the short and mid-term projects, multiple initiatives were proposed including establishment of model meat outlets, model poultry meat outlets, setting up farms, revival of existing poultry farms, establishment of commercial dairy farms and milk collection and marketing centres.

Besides launching of vaccination programme to control foot mouth diseases, FMD-free zones would also be established. Similarly, initiatives have also been proposed to enhance the capacity of livestock department.

The chief minister agreed to proposed initiatives under the programme. He directed the quarters concerned to chalk out a workable and realistic plan for implementation of the programme.

He said that all the arrangements should be finalised in time to start execution of the programme without any delay. He said that promoting livestock sector was one of the priority areas of the government. He added that the programme was meant to cater to the increasing demand of poultry, milk and meat at local and national level.

The chief minister said that the programme would also create employment opportunities by promoting quality dairy production on commercial lines. He said that government would extend its all-out support to the quarters concerned to implement the programme.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2022