September 12, 2012

In order to enhance meat and milk production, Pakistan will spend PKR2.7 billion (US$29 million) on livestock sector during the current fiscal.

Projects in the vital sector will create job opportunities for hundreds of youths in rural areas, sources said on Friday (Sep 7). The government has already exported meat to Malaysia and Iran.

Earlier, India was dominating the meat market, sources said and added that a modern meat processing plant had also been set up with the cooperation of Iran which enabled the province to export Halal meat.

They said the government had also established the Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development Board for promotion of livestock.

The board through model livestock farms is training farmers so that they could take care of their cattle properly and generate money for their families.

They said spade work for a livestock university being set up at Bahawalpur had already been completed and a sum of PKR4.4 million (US$47,000) would be spent on its construction.