FAISALABAD, Nov 26: Scientists and representatives of different organizations have stressed the need for developing dairy and livestock sector according to modern day requirements and to meet the challenges of the WTO regime.

They said on the fourth day of the week-long workshop on 'Sustainable dairy sector development for poverty reduction' on Friday dairy farmers should keep milch animals who produced milk and meat according to the market demand.

The workshop is being held at the University of Agriculture under the aegis of Livestock Management Department and the National Productivity Organization (NPO), Pakistan, with the financial support of the Asian Productivity Organization, Japan.

They said the gap between the breeders and the consumers, high prices of animals, low quality of fodder and financial problems of the breeders were the main hurdles in the promotion of dairy sector in almost every region of the world.

Ms Shadana of Sri Lanka said in her country the private sector had been facing problems in the sector due to monopoly of the National Milk Board on markets and processing of milk. The Sri Lankan government was importing 500,000 litres of dry milk daily to meet the requirement of 1.2 million litres, she added.

Korean scientist Dr Youn Ya Chang claimed that introduction and establishment of big dairy farms and adoption of modern techniques in the sector had played a pivotal role in strengthening the national economy of his country. Efforts were also being made to make this sector more beneficial and profit earning.

He offered technical and research help of his country in the sector. Basha Khan Sodnam of Mongolia urged the scientists and researchers to give special attention for the betterment of quality of chaffs so that milk production could be increased.

Dr Muhammad Anwar of the University of Agriculture said dairy sector was also playing a vital role in the national economy of Pakistan. He also stressed the need to enhance the quality of chaffs for the promotion of this sector.