National Seminar on Harnessing Livestock Potential of Pakistan held at PM Secretariat
National Seminar on “Harnessing Livestock Potential of Pakistan” was organized by Ministry of Interprovincial Coordination, Ministry of National Food Security and Research and Green Corporate Livestock Initiative (GCLI) at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat. The seminar brought together policymakers, provincial governments, industry leaders, researchers, academics, and livestock experts to deliberate on key reforms, technological advancements, disease control, traceability, and public-private partnerships aimed at making Pakistan’s livestock sector globally competitive. PM inaugurated the Pakistan Animal Identification and Traceability System, PAITS at this National Seminar on Livestock Potential.
PM at National Livestock on Livestock Potential
With modern technology, scientific research and effective collaboration between the federal and provincial governments, Pakistan’s agriculture and livestock sector can significantly strengthen the national economy within a year. These views were expressed by Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif while addressing the National Seminar on Livestock Potential.
PAITS and Funds for FMD Vaccine Plant
On this occasion, the Prime Minister of Pakistan also inaugurated the Pakistan Animal Identification and Traceability System (PAITS). The Prime Minister announced to provide full federal funding for the project to manufacture foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine at the local level and to run it through outsourcing as per international standards. Along with this, he also announced to provide free training to 1,000 more agriculture graduates in China this year.
Prime Minister Highlights Pakistan’s Livestock Export Potential
The Prime Minister of Pakistan said that Pakistan is rich in natural resources, fertile land, water and hardworking farmers, however, due to outdated methods and lack of value addition, the country could not benefit from its full agricultural and livestock potential. He said that despite being the fourth largest milk producer in the world, Pakistan could not achieve significant success in dairy and meat exports due to inadequate disease control, weak traceability and limited processing infrastructure.
Federal and Provincial Leadership Participates
Federal Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for Information Atta Tarar, Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Agriculture and Food Security Ahmed Umair, Provincial Minister for Livestock Balochistan Sardar Faisal Khan Jamali, Provincial Minister for Livestock Sindh Muhammad Ali Malkani, Chairman Green Corporate Livestock Initiative Major General (retd) Shuja Anwar, Federal Secretary National Food Security and Research Aamir Ali Ahmed, Federal Secretary for Inter-Provincial Coordination Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani, and Chairman Standing Committee on Food Security Syed Hussain Tariq graced the semeinar.
Chairman Pakistan Agricultural Research Council Dr. Murtaza Hassan Andrabi, Secretary Livestock Punjab Ahmed Aziz Tarar, Secretary Livestock Sindh Kazim Hussain Jatoi, Chief Executive Officer GCLI Brigadier (retd) Ehtesham Younis, Directors GCLI Colonel (retd) Abdul Rehman Qureshi, Colonel (retd) Asim Nawaz, Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Shahnawaz, Vice Chancellor Veterinary University Lahore Professor Dr. Masood Rabbani and other important personalities were also present on the occasion.
Industry Reps at National Seminar on Livestock Potential
Chairman Pakistan Poultry Association Abdul Basit, Chairman All Pakistan Meat Exporters and Processors Association Mian Abdul Hanan, Chairman Pakistan Veterinary Pharmaceuticals Association Dr. Asim Mahmood Khan, President Buffalo Breeders Association Khan Ali Imran Rath, General Secretary Engineer Samiullah, Vice President Dairy and Cattle Farmers Association Balochistan Abdul Basit Gujjar, General Secretary DCFA Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Haris Khan, Vice Chairman PPA Malik Muhammad Sharif and others also attended.
Further, Chief Executive Officer Livestock and Dairy Development Board Dr. Shahid Amin, Chairperson Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development Board Ayesha Gulzar, Consultant Ministry of Food Security Dr. Muhammad Junaid, Consultant Ministry of Planning Dr. Mubarak Ali, Dean Veterinary Faculty Arid University Professor Dr. Irfan Yousaf, Advisor Veterinary University Swat Dr. Alamdar Hussain Malik, Subject Specialist Planning Commission Dr. Mohsin Kiani, Registrar Breeding Authority Dr. Laiq, Khalil Sattar, Dr. Hassan Sarosh Akram, Dr. Shahzad Naveed Jadoon, Dr. Zafarullah Khan, Dr. Tanveer, Dr. G. A. Sulehri, Dr. Zahida Fatima, Dr. Muhammad Zubair and other experts also participated in the national seminar.
Rana Tanveer Hussain Outlines Export Opportunities at National Seminar on Livestock Potential.
On this occasion, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain welcomed the Prime Minister and said that Pakistan has a dairy export potential of about $14.5 billion while meat export potential is about $5 billion annually, for which measures such as breed improvement, disease control, modern technology, national traceability system, establishment of National Seed Development Authority and financial assistance to farmers are being taken.
GCLI Briefs on Livestock Development Projects
Brigadier (r) Ehtisham Younis, Chief Executive Officer of Green Corporate Livestock Initiative (GCLI), said that GCLI has established a gender-sorted semen lab in Okara, while innovation is being brought to government livestock farms through public-private partnership. He also gave a briefing on the Grassroots Incentivized Dairy Development Project (GRIDD) and other projects.
Green Corporate Livestock Initiative (GCLI)
Ahmed Umair Explains Future Livestock Strategy and PAITS at National Seminar on Livestock Potential
Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Agriculture and Food Security Ahmed Umair said that the future strategy will focus on better genetics, effective disease control, scientific breeding, improved nutrition, national traceability, financial facilities and federal and provincial cooperation instead of increasing the number of animals. He said that the PAITS system, developed in collaboration with FAO and the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), will improve animal documentation and traceability, facilitate access to export markets, promote livestock insurance and help make animals bankable assets.
Technical Panel Discussions at National Seminar on Livestock Potential
Panel 1: Strategic Policy and Transformation in Livestock Economy
Representatives from the federal and provincial governments, universities, industry and the private sector also spoke in three technical panel discussions at the national seminar.
In the first panel, Secretary Livestock Punjab Ahmed Aziz Tarar, Vice Chancellor Veterinary University Lahore Prof. Dr. Masood Rabbani, Dr. Mubarak Ali, Director General Extension Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Dr. Asal Khan and Prime Minister’s Coordinator Ahmed Umair discussed the national control program of FMD, local vaccine production, federal and provincial coordination, corporate investment, digital traceability, livestock financing, insurance, grading system and support for small farmers.
The Minister for Livestock Balochistan Sardar Faisal Khan Jamali and the Minister for Livestock Sindh Muhammad Ali Malkani also spoke at National Seminar on Livestock Potential. The moderator of this panel was Dr. Muhammad Ali Hamza.
Panel 2: Poultry Industry Challenges and Export Readiness
The second panel was moderated by Dr. Jassar Aftab. CEO K&N Khalil Sattar, Chairman Pakistan Poultry Association Abdul Basit, Dr. Hassan Sarosh Akram, Chairman Pakistan Veterinary Pharmaceuticals Association Dr. Asim Mahmood Khan, Vice Chairman PPA Malik Muhammad Sharif and DG SIAH Dr. Nazir Hussain Kalhoro emphasized on the diseases faced by the poultry industry, biosecurity, taxes, exports, special regulatory wing in DRAP for veterinary drugs, consumer awareness and the need for cooperation between the industry and the government.
Panel 3: Breeding Policy, Exports and Value Addition
In the third panel of National Seminar on Livestock Potential, Secretary Livestock Sindh Dr. Kazim Hussain Jatoi, Chief Executive of Fauji Foods Usman Zaheer, Syed Hassan Raza, Chairman All Pakistan Meat Exporters and Processors Association Mian Abdul Hanan, Chief Executive of Fauji Meat Limited Brigadier (R) Adil and Director General Farms Balochistan Dr. Abdul Wahid Baloch agreed on the need for national breeding policy, modern reproductive technology, promotion of local breeds, cold chain and cargo infrastructure, export of value-added meat, simplification of FBR procedures, public-private partnership and investment in value addition. The moderator of this panel was Dr. Shahzad Amin.
Key Outcomes and National Priorities
At the end of the National Seminar on Livestock Potential, it was agreed that FMD control, local vaccine development, national traceability, breed improvement, veterinary regulatory reforms, public-private partnerships, export infrastructure, biosecurity, value-added meat and milk exports, research, innovation, and support for smallholder farmers should be taken forward as national priorities to make Pakistan’s livestock sector globally competitive.
