Experts at a seminar UAF

FAISALABAD September 1, 2020: Experts at a seminar on Tuesday said that effective genetic research work was prerequisite to raise the production of milk and meat in order to feed ever-increasing population and increase farming community incomeThey said this in a seminar which was jointly arranged by Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Office of Research Innovation and Commercialization, University of Agriculture Faisalabad and was presided over by UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Ashraf. Prof Dr Muhammad Ashraf said that the livestock sector was contributing 60 percent to the agriculture sector. He added it was unfortunate that per animal production in our country was very low compared to the developed world. He said we have to conduct research and development work on our indigenous as well as exotic breeds. He directed the UAF livestock and poultry experts to develop the model farms for the development in the sector .He added that the country was having the best indigenous livestock including Sahiwal buffaloes. He stressed upon the need to learn from the progressive farmers that will help boost up agriculture productivity. He said that it was a matter of grave concern that the country was importing dry milk worth millions of rupees. The import budget of the country was greater than the export bill that was aggravating the economic woes. University of Agriculture DI Khan Vice-Chancellor Prof . Dr Masroor E Babar said that the latest techniques in the livestock sector must be adopted to increase milk and meat production in the country. He said that the knowledge economy was essential to catch up with the development process. He said that the livestock was contributing to the gross domestic product at a higher rate as compared to other constituents of agriculture in Pakistan.Dean Faculty of Animal Husbandry Dr Muhammad Aslam said that it was the need of the hour to pace up the efforts to overcome the low productivity issue. He added that such moots provide a platform to the scientists and farming community to sit together to combat the challenges in the sector.Hamid Dairy Farms CEO Hamid Khalil said that the farming community must focus on animals' comfort and health. He added that they were getting 25 liters of milk from the exotic animals at his farm. He added that the scientists should come up with viable research work to increase the productivity from indigenous breeds. Chinese expert Dr Yachun Wang said that China was rich in genetic resources. She said that Arterial Insemination technology was well adapted in China both for the beef and dairy industry.Dean Veterinary Sciences Dr Zafar Iqbal, Dean Agriculture Dr Muhammad Aslam Khan, Director Research Zahir Ahmad Zahir, Progressive farmers Sardar Aftab watoo , eng Bashrat Jashpal, Dr Khalid Mhamood Shouq, Dr Saif Ur Rehman, and other notables also spoke on the occasion. They also visited the livestock exhibition at the Expo Center.