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EU launches Rs 1.6 b project to boost Livestock
services
ISLAMABAD (April 28
2004): European Union (EU) has launched a six-year
project for strengthening LIVESTOCK services in
Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) at a
cost of Rs 1.6 billion aimed at increasing
LIVESTOCK potential by controlling diseases.
Mohammad Imran Ashraf, Agronomist/Development
Adviser of the European Union, said this, while
briefing newsmen about the details of the project
here on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali will
formally inaugurate the project during a ceremony
being organised by the European Union and the
Food, Agriculture and LIVESTOCK Ministry, Imran
said.
The AJK prime minister will also participate in
the ceremony.
Talking about the main features of the project, he
said, this programme would provide various
facilities to Pakistan and AJK governments,
including technical assistance, upgradation of
laboratories and vaccination centres aimed at
producing qualitative vaccination to meet the
requirements of the LIVESTOCK sector.
Regarding the production of vaccination at various
centres of the country, including Veterinary
Research Institute Lahore, he said, "About 115
million, including 46 million bovines and 75
million small ruminants (LIVESTOCK of the country)
requires vaccination twice a year for the
disease-free LIVESTOCK in the country."
However, he said that various centres working for
the production of vaccination for LIVESTOCK were
only producing vaccination for even less than 0.5
million LIVESTOCK having poor quality as compared
to the standards set by the international
institutions.
Giving details about the LIVESTOCK of Pakistan, he
said that Pakistan was exporting LIVESTOCK
products, such as bone meal, bone gist, gelatine,
sheep and cattle casings, etc, worth more than Rs
53 billion of which Rs 10 billion to the European
Union member countries annually.
Pakistan's representative in Brussels has
intimated that animal health coverage should be
improved to eradicate notifiable disease,
otherwise the European Union member countries
would impose ban on import of these products from
Pakistan, he said.
Therefore, this project was formulated in order to
avoid disruption of trade in LIVESTOCK products
and improve the condition of LIVESTOCK, he said.
The project will target the problems of animal
disease control by looking especially at the final
eradication of Rinderpest and the conception of a
progressive strategy to address the problem of
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), the control of which
was essential for the export of animal and animal
products by addressing other major diseases.
It will also cover 10 major issues related to
LIVESTOCK of the country, including policy and
regulatory framework, vaccine production, disease
surveillance, diagnostics and reporting,
strengthen field veterinary services, human
resources development, interdisciplinary LIVESTOCK
sector research, information and communication,
studies and surveys, regional and sub-regional
co-operation and co-ordination and core project
management, Imran said.
Courtesy Business Recorder
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Pakissan.com; Advisory Point
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