Modern Poultry & Dairy Farms to be Set Up
PAKISTAN - Provincial Minister for Livestock, Dairy Development and Cooperatives, Hidayatullah Khan on Sunday said the government accords high priority to livestock and poultry sectors in Khyber Pakthunkhwa and focus is being made for establishment of model poultry forms.
"The establishment of these centres would help to promote livestock and poultry sectors in rural areas and will increase income of masses and farmers," he said while addressing a public gathering on occasion of giving Category D status to Rural Health Centre Munda in Lower Dir.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said the government accords high priority to rebuilding and reconstruction of terrorism and flood hit areas of Khyber Pakthunkhwa and ANP have achieved maximum targets announced in its election manifesto.
"The targets of renaming the province as Khyber Pakthunkhwa, provincial autonomy, establishment of peace in areas that was challenged by militants and terrorists and reforms in FCR have been achieved and Darul Qaza was established with cost of Rs.350million on request of people of Malakand Division despite west’s opposition." He said Darul Qaza was the old age demand of people of Swat and Malakand Division and the incumbent government has fulfilled the pledge to provide inexpensive and speedy justice to litigants.
To address problems of masses, the Livestock Minister said centre for promotion of livestock sector has been established in Lower Dir and a separate feeder and grid station at Jandol have been approved by Khyber Pakthunkhwa government to address low voltage problems and load shedding. He said the facility would be inaugurated this week for which all arrangements have been completed. According to The Nation, as much as Rs.90million has been spent on provision of basic health facilities at Smar Bagh to mitigate suffering of ailing humanity, he remarked.
The Minister announced Rs.75million for provision of modern equipments and machinery for Munda Hospital and Rs.110million for construction of link roads at Meega area to provide better communication facilities to masses. Work on provision of gas project cost Rs.800 million to Lower Dir was underway that would also be extended to Tehsil Smarbagh, he elaborated.
The government is starting a number of livestock projects for breeding, conserving and protecting native breeds in current fiscal year, he added. In addition to establishment of modern Livestock and Poultry Research Centre at Jaba in Mansehra district costing Rs230 million, he said anti-bird flu vaccine would also be prepared in the centre, which would save valuable foreign exchange for the country.
The government has restarted mobile veterinary dispensaries project where a quality team will visit each union council after every 15 days to examine animals and provide free treatment. The government will establish 200 veterinary dispensaries besides 2,400 mobile veterinary camps in the next fiscal. He said it is a three-year project that would be completed at a cost of Rs80 million.
Dairy colonies are being launched in Peshawar, Mardan and Dera Ismail Khan districts where plots would be given to livestock owners to expand their business.
Work on dairy colony in DI Khan has been started and will be established on 200 acres.
Work on Peshawar and Mardan dairy colonies, of 500 kanal each, will soon start, he added.
Another project costing Rs150 million will be launched for reconstruction of damaged veterinary hospitals and dispensaries, he said.
Another project costing Rs250 million would also be launched for capacity building of women associated with livestock and dairy sector, he added. Milk and meat project would also be started at a cost of Rs300 million. The Minister said that 71 projects for agriculture and livestock were planned in the budget and 70 percent amount for ongoing and 30 for new projects in the budget were earmarked by government to bring white revolution and fulfill meat requirements of people
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said the government accords high priority to rebuilding and reconstruction of terrorism and flood hit areas of Khyber Pakthunkhwa and ANP have achieved maximum targets announced in its election manifesto.
"The targets of renaming the province as Khyber Pakthunkhwa, provincial autonomy, establishment of peace in areas that was challenged by militants and terrorists and reforms in FCR have been achieved and Darul Qaza was established with cost of Rs.350million on request of people of Malakand Division despite west’s opposition." He said Darul Qaza was the old age demand of people of Swat and Malakand Division and the incumbent government has fulfilled the pledge to provide inexpensive and speedy justice to litigants.
To address problems of masses, the Livestock Minister said centre for promotion of livestock sector has been established in Lower Dir and a separate feeder and grid station at Jandol have been approved by Khyber Pakthunkhwa government to address low voltage problems and load shedding. He said the facility would be inaugurated this week for which all arrangements have been completed. According to The Nation, as much as Rs.90million has been spent on provision of basic health facilities at Smar Bagh to mitigate suffering of ailing humanity, he remarked.
The Minister announced Rs.75million for provision of modern equipments and machinery for Munda Hospital and Rs.110million for construction of link roads at Meega area to provide better communication facilities to masses. Work on provision of gas project cost Rs.800 million to Lower Dir was underway that would also be extended to Tehsil Smarbagh, he elaborated.
The government is starting a number of livestock projects for breeding, conserving and protecting native breeds in current fiscal year, he added. In addition to establishment of modern Livestock and Poultry Research Centre at Jaba in Mansehra district costing Rs230 million, he said anti-bird flu vaccine would also be prepared in the centre, which would save valuable foreign exchange for the country.
The government has restarted mobile veterinary dispensaries project where a quality team will visit each union council after every 15 days to examine animals and provide free treatment. The government will establish 200 veterinary dispensaries besides 2,400 mobile veterinary camps in the next fiscal. He said it is a three-year project that would be completed at a cost of Rs80 million.
Dairy colonies are being launched in Peshawar, Mardan and Dera Ismail Khan districts where plots would be given to livestock owners to expand their business.
Work on dairy colony in DI Khan has been started and will be established on 200 acres.
Work on Peshawar and Mardan dairy colonies, of 500 kanal each, will soon start, he added.
Another project costing Rs150 million will be launched for reconstruction of damaged veterinary hospitals and dispensaries, he said.
Another project costing Rs250 million would also be launched for capacity building of women associated with livestock and dairy sector, he added. Milk and meat project would also be started at a cost of Rs300 million. The Minister said that 71 projects for agriculture and livestock were planned in the budget and 70 percent amount for ongoing and 30 for new projects in the budget were earmarked by government to bring white revolution and fulfill meat requirements of people
KARACHI: Inappropriate policies, lapses in the 18th Amendment and prolonged delay in departmental procedures have pushed the country towards the deadliest viral disease of ‘bird flu’ at a time when the country is already facing severe problems due to dengue virus.
A large number of birds migrate from Europe to the South Asian countries, including Pakistan during the winter season, which according to the experts, are the core source of viral diseases, particularly the bird flu. So far tens of thousands of migratory birds along with the significant alarms of bird flu have arrived in the country.
Contrary to past years, there is no surveillance or control programme at present in the country, as in the pretext of 18th Amendment, the National Programme for the Control and Prevention of Avian & Pandemic Influenza under which bird flu had been combated and later on it also performed the surveillance services, was devolved in the mid of the outgoing year in the provinces.
Since then practically the programme remained suspended due to technical and financial incapability of the provinces.
It is pertinent to mention here that bird flu had erupted in two of the neighbouring countries of Pakistan, India and Iran, few months ago. Responding to eruption of the disease in the countries, World Health Organisation (WHO) had issued warning to several countries, including Pakistan, for immediate precautionary measures, but the country still failed even to restore its bird flu programme.
Daily Times has learnt that the programme was completely stopped across the country after suspension of funds in this regard, except in Sindh province.
To a question, he said that they had been facing acute problems due to non-provision of running expenses, however, they were trying their level best in order to cope with the situation with the help of bird flu surveillance.
When contacted, Jalali, who was a founding president of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) working for the animals’ rights in Pakistan, said that they were still collecting samples from both wild and migratory birds, as well as commercial poultry flocks.
He told Daily Times that they purchased necessary accessories, when learnt that the programme was being devolved, so as to continue with the surveillance, which was essential to safeguard the lives of people, as well as poultry flocks.
Replying to a question, he affirmed that the country was facing an acute threat of bird flu eruption, however, he added that no warning was yet issued from the reference lab Islamabad, where samples were sent to ascertain if the virus was found in birds. He further said that if other provinces were not taking measures it meant they did not take WHO’s warning seriously. He said that several provinces of the country have boarders with affected countries, India and Iran, so taking immediate measures was the need of the hour, he added.
Daily Times has also learnt that Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) was willing to launch a programme in Pakistan for zoonotic diseases (daises that transform from animal to humans that include bird flu), under which bird flu surveillance programme would be started, but ironically no funds had yet been issued.
Sources at the Sindh government told Daily Times that in response to the livestock department’s letters to the relevant authorities to continue the programme, a summery was formed regarding the continuity of the programme with an amount of Rs 5 million in the province. Sources further informed that the summery had been waiting for approval at the Chief Minister’s office for around last six months, but so far no measure had been taken.
It is pertinent to mention here that the ongoing uncertain situation has dragged the country to bear severe financial losses. The Office International des Épizooties (OIE), considered as the World Organisation for Animal Health, declares Pakistan as bird flu-free country in the reports issued by the National Reference Laboratory for Poultry Diseases (NRLPD) Islamabad.
The country would be deprived of the bird flu certificate due to suspension of the procedure; resultantly Pakistan could not export various items of livestock including white meat and birds, parrots and pigeons.
