‘Animal hides worth Rs7b wasted annually’

Livestock dept will guide butchers and people in leather industry to avoid cuts on animal hides

SAHIWAL: Livestock and Dairy Development department has said that hides worth Rs7 billion were wasted every year due to poor management throughout the year.

Livestock and Dairy Development Secretary Naseem Sadiq revealed this while addressing a seminar at Sahiwal chamber on Tuesday, organised to encourage livestock farmers to start ostrich farming. He said more basic challenge was to guide butchers and other people in leather industry to avoid cuts on hides which resulted in their complete wastage.



He revealed that the Punjab government was encouraging ostrich farming to overcome the shortage of meat and to cater future needs. Dairy Development department is ensuring quality ostrich chicks to farmers besides on farm monitoring and subsidy on purchase chicks.

Sahiwal chamber President Chaudhry Amir Siddique, Livestock Director Dr Shahid Sajjad and Livestock Additional Director Dr Samreen Kausar were also present besides a large number of farmers. Sadiq said 32,000 poultry sheds were lying vacant throughout Punjab which can be utilised for ostrich farming because ostrich meat was in high demand for exports.



“Ostrich meat is full of nutrition with no fats or cholesterol and can be easily substituted for beef and mutton,” he said.

“Animal hides worth Rs7 billion are wasted annually due to cuts on them and the livestock department is chalking out a comprehensive strategy to educate people through scholars and other notables in this regard, so that wastage could be minimised,” he remarked.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2017.