Livestock: All efforts being made to eradicate diseases, says minister

Govt joins hands with specialists to protect industry from its biggest threat.

ISLAMABAD:

The Federal Government will undertake all necessary steps to assist provincial governments in eradicating animal diseases particularly PPR and Foot and Mouth disease in livestock.

Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan expressed these views while speaking at a workshop on “Progressive control of PPR in sheep and goats in Pakistan”, here today.

The workshop was organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations which was attended by Secretary Ministry of National Food Security Seerat Asghar Jaura, FAO Representative in Pakistan Dr Kevin Gallaghar, Animal Health Attache’ of the United States (US) Embassy Dr David Ashford, and livestock professionals from all the provinces of the country.

Bosan said that Pakistan was blessed with a large livestock population well adapted to the environmental conditions of the region and 8.5 million families were connected with it. Therefore it is imperative to control livestock diseases which were one of the major impediments to the further development of livestock sector in the country, said the minister.

Bosan further said that the present government was committed to initiating national programs to control of transboundary animal diseases particularly Foot and Mouth disease and PPR to boost international trade and to bring relief to the rural families raising livestock for their livelihood.



Sikandar also thanked the US Department of Agriculture for providing the necessary financial support and FAO for launching a project for the progressive control of PPR in the country whose purpose was to demonstrate effective disease control strategy and also train provincial field veterinarians.

The federal minister also highlighted the importance of farmers’ awareness about the animal diseases for which holding of seminars and farmers’ meeting in each district of the country will play a vital role in this regard.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 21^st, 2013.

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