TAXILA: Punjab Minister for Livestock and Dairy Development Sardar Husnain Bahadur Dreshak on Sunday said compensatory grant would be given to poor farmers for their animals that died as a result of the mosquito-borne lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV).

Talking to journalists during his visit to Attock, Mr Dreshak said different categories had been formulated to determine the losses rendered by farmers so that the compensation plan could be formulated accordingly.

Member Punjab Assembly (MPA) Syed Yawar Bukhari, retired Col Mohammad Anwar, Jamshaid Altaf, Additional Deputy Commissioner Zulfiqar Ahmed, Director General Livestock Extension Dr Ehtishamul Haque, Director Livestock Rawalpindi Division Dr Sarfaraz Chattha, Director General (Research) Dr Abdul Rehman, Director Communication Dr Asif Rafeeq and Additional Director Livestock Dr Abdul Hameed were also present on the occasion.

Pakistan is the fourth largest country in the world in terms of milk and meat production, the provincial minister said, adding that, “promotion and protection of livestock throughout the province will further increase the volume of milk and meat production”.

He said for the first time in the history of the province, a livestock policy had been drafted which would soon be presented to the cabinet for approval.

Responding to a question, he said a vaccine to prevent the spread of the disease would be provided in required quantity throughout the province.

The minister said district officers of the livestock department had been ordered to stay in the field for more time, adding that a surprise inspection was being conducted to monitor the performance of officers in the implementation of departmental guidelines to produce a tick-killing spray and a lumpy skin disease vaccine.

The minister said livestock farmers could directly report any disease through a special mobile application developed by the Livestock Department’s Diagnostic Department.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2022