Govt to organise cattle show in Hyderabad next month

Veterinary university will be established in Larkana, officials inform chief minister.

KARACHI: The Sindh government is planning to organise a cattle show in Hyderabad next month.

Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah directed the livestock department to organise the exhibition to display different varieties of animals and to also promote cattle farming in the province. He was presiding over a meeting at the Chief Minister House on Monday. Livestock secretary Abid Ali Shah told officials that there are 7.34 million buffaloes, 3.96 million sheep, 12.57 million goats, 0.28 million camels, 0.05 million horses, 0.02 million mules and 350 million poultry animals in Sindh. While providing details of modern techniques adopted in Sindh, Abid Ali said that the government has, with help of the private sector, adopted an embryo transfer technology, while Rs6 million has been spent on non-descriptive low productive cattle. The central veterinary diagnostic laboratory, located in Tandojam, now has sub-centres in Karachi, Mithi, Sukkur, Larkana, Dadu and Naushero Feroze.

Providing details about the poultry industry in Sindh, Abid Ali said that 55 artificial insemination centres have been established in 10 districts, at a cost of Rs344.2 million.

The principle poultry production and research directory is operating in Karachi, while poultry production units have also been established in Hyderabad, Sukkur and 13 other districts.



The government and the private sector also pooled in a Rs1.7 billion project to establish cattle colonies in Umerkot, Naukot and Khairpur. The dairy village and processing zone is being constructed in Bhambhore for Rs2.8 billion in Thatta.

The secretary added that another Rs300 million will be spent on establishing a campus of the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto International University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Larkana. The chief minister also asked livestock officials to submit a report over why a slaughterhouse near Husri is lying unused.

Provincial livestock minister Agha Tariq Pathan, finance minister Murad Ali Shah, information minister Sharjeel Memon, chief secretary Raja Mohammad Abbas, and other officials were also present in the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2012.