Farmers provided on-site consultancy

In order to promote and develop the livestock sector for enhancing meat production to meet local requirements as well as for export, about 12,563 farmers were provided onsite consultancy and training.

The livestock departments of provincial governments had conducted onsite consultancy and training programmes for farmers under Save the Calf project, which was the main component of the National Agriculture Emergency Programme, said Ministry of Food Senior Joint Secretary and National Food Security and Research Spokesman Dr Javed Humayun.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, he said more than 26,841 calves were also registered and regular support was being provided by departments in tagging, vaccination, deworming and nutrition plan to farmers.

The preparation of techno-economic feasibility and project brochures to guide field staff and farmers on SOPs and business models have been finalised, he added.

Under the programme, he said the Pakistan feedstuff database was also published to help farmers in feed formulations, besides conducting a two-day national review and planning workshop with all departments and project partners to develop annual works and cash plan.

A five-day training of trainers on business models of commercial calf rearing and feedlot fattening for project officials of provincial livestock departments at the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore was also conducted, he added.

More than 32 senior officials of the departments imparted training to farmers at their respective fields to overcome different diseases, he said.

"Monitoring officers at the Livestock and Dairy Development Board conducted field-based monitoring visits to monitor saved and mature calves at 25 selected districts of Punjab, KP, ICT and AJK," he remarked.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2021.