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Livestock and dairy board constituted to promote production, enhance export
ISLAMABAD (October 18 2002) : The government on Thursday constituted a livestock and dairy board on Thursday to promote production of this industry and enhance export of its products.
The constitution of the board was approved at a high-level meeting jointly chaired by Finance Minister, Shaukat Aziz and Food Minister Khair Muhammad Junejo. Senior federal and provincial authorities attended the meeting.
The Federal Food Minister would head the livestock and dairy board. All the four provincial ministers for food would be its members. The Chairman and four experts, one from each province, would be taken from the private sector. Director General Livestock would be the member secretary. The Chairman ADBP, President Khushhali Bank, Chairman Export Promotion Board would also be members of the board.
The board would co-ordinate different livestock activities carried out at national and provincial level besides, promoting investment in this sector.
The alleviation of poverty among small and landless farmers with special emphasis on women participation would be another salient feature of the board.
Addressing the meeting Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz said that dairy and livestock contributed 38 percent of agriculture DGP and credit availability to the poor needs to be increased to alleviate poverty. He said that the best way to curb poverty was to provide micro credit in rural areas to promote dairy sectors. He urged Chairman ADBP and President Khushhali Bank to increase their credit portfolio for dairy sectors, which he believed, would increase employment opportunities. He hoped that similar micro credit programmes would also be introduced by other leading banks in the country.
The other functions of the board will be:
i) To evolve support systems for those engaged in milk, meat and other livestock production activities particularly rural based small livestock farmers;
ii) To encourage and promote the active participation of farm families, rural co-operatives and the private sector recognising them as principal agents in the development of the Pakistan Livestock and dairy industry.
iii) To suggest measure to ensure adequate supply of milk and other dairy products and affordable prices;
iv) To suggest livelihood opportunities and thereby increase income level through livestock raising;
v) To suggest measures to enhance children's nutritional intake through the promotion of locally produced milk and milk products;
vi) To advise strategy for development and dissemination of appropriate small holders based dairy/livestock techniques;
vii) To devise methods for improved milk production from existing stock and to systematically programme build-up of genetically superior hard; and
viii) To advise on measure to improve marketing of live animals within Pakistan and export of meat, leather, wool and other by-products.
The Chairman ADBP and Khushhali Bank briefed the meeting on their lending policy towards the agriculture sector and in particular livestock and dairy industry.
The Chairman ADBP in his briefing said that the agriculture bank has portfolio of Rs. 1.3 billion in the current financial year for small farmers. He further said that ADBP was in process of allocating another 25 per cent of Rs. 4 billion to Agriculture Sector. The loans will be available to small farmers to increase the dairy production.
The meeting also noted that Asian Development Bank has provided an amount of US dollar 5 million for insurance of replacement of assets. The various bankers were in process of negotiating formula with State Bank of Pakistan for utilising this amount to provide an insurance cover to livestock and dairy sectors.
The meeting was also told that Khushhali Bank has disbursed loans of Rs. 232 million to the small farmers.
Source: Business
Recorder
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