KARACHI, May 4: The Sindh government will establish 40 dairy villages on 1,800 acres of land on the Super and National highways, said the Adviser to Chief Minister on Livestock and Fisheries, Fakir Mohammed Jadim Mangrio.

During a visit to a farm on the Super Highway on Wednesday, the adviser said the objective of the project was to help livestock holders set up small-size dairy farms and thus improve their living conditions.

In this regard, he said, a pilot project was being started on 800 acres near Ghukkur Phatac on the National Highway.

He said the Chief Minister, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, was paying special attention to livestock development and these projects were being conceived in the light of his directives.

Mr Mangrio said instructions had been issued to the Livestock Department to carry out a survey of government land on the National and Super highways for early implementation of the project.

The adviser had a detailed visit of the farm and made inquiries about meat and milk producing animals.

The Provincial Secretary Livestock, Dr Baz Mohammed Junejo, informed that it was Asia's biggest farm with 5,000 animals.

The DG Livestock Shahzado Malkani, Director Animal Husbandry Dr Ghulam Sarwar Shaikh, Director Breeding Dr Abdul Qadir Junejo, Director Poultry Akbar Soomro and others were also present.

Earlier, the adviser inaugurated Pakistan's first shrimp breeding station completed at a cost of Rs8 million. He urged the officials to pay attention to development and research.

He said there should be separate DGs for Livestock and Fisheries for better performance and directed the Provincial Secretary Livestock, Dr Baz Mohammed, to immediately send a proposal for these two posts.—APP