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0.320m animals exported
By Ahmad Fraz Khan
 By
Iftikhar A. Khan
SLAMABAD: The Senate was informed on Friday that as many as
3,20,489 animals were exported to different countries under
the commercial export of live animals through open policy
since May, 2009.
Minister for Livestock and Dairy Development Mir Humayun
Aziz Kurd told the House during the question hour that the
commercial export of live animals was started about 19
months back. During last two financial years, 70,440 cattle,
64,849 buffaloes, 1,84,777 goats and sheep, AND 423 camels
were exported.
Giving the break-up, he said a total of 5,515 animals,
including 1,260 cattle, 1,825 buffaloes, 2,430 goats and
sheep were exported in the year 2008-09.
In year 2009-10 the export soared to 3,14,947 animals,
including 69,180 cattle, 63,024 buffaloes, 1,82,347 goats
and sheep and 423 camels.
In addition, 6,976 animals were exported during the period
through NOC issued by ministry of livestock and dairy
development to foreign dignitaries through diplomatic
channel. The countries where these animals were exported,
inclu ded Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, Afghanistan, Oman and
Bahrain.
Minister of Food and Agriculture Nazar Gondal informed the
House that various steps were being taken to increase
production of special crops in the country. However, no jute
has been produced in the country during the last three
years..
He said production of tea continued to register increase
since 2007. Efforts were underway to bring maximum area
under tea
cultivation in tea growing areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and
Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Mr Gondal said a project was in progress to bring 4,200
acres of land under tea cultivation in KP and AJK through
public-private partnership.
Cost free tea plants were being provided to the tea growers
while credit facility had also been arranged with Zarai
Taraqiati Bank limited (ZTBL).
He said presently, 1,130 acres of land were under olive
plantation in KP, Punjab and Balochistan. Olive saplings
were being provided to the growers at subsidised rate of
Rs30 per sapling, besides provision of technical assistance
and training to farmers.
Minister for Industries and Production Ayatullah Durrani
informed the House that the government had taken timely
measures to meet the domestic requirement of fertilizers and
there was no shortage in the country.
On a point of order raised by Prof Khurshid, he said the
country has sufficient stock of urea against total demand of
about 6.4 million tons, while it is producing about 5.4
million tons and gap between demand and supply is being
filled through imports.
He said prices of fertilizers were high as the factories
were not producing urea up to their capacity due to
interrupted gas supply. The fertilizers units have capacity
to produce about 6.7 million tons, he pointed out.
The minister said about 63,000 tons of urea allocated for
flood victims is in the government stock. He assured that
the house price of the urea will stabilize after the supply
of gas to the factories.
He said presently, the government is providing Rs320 subsidy
on a urea bag.
Courtesy: The DAWN
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Pakissan.com;
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