Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development Board (PLDDB) planned to introduce high-yielding cow breeds through artificial insemination. Hailing this decision the Animal Foundation Chairman JI Hashmi said here Wednesday that it would enable the country to become self sufficient in meat and milk production rather produce surplus to earn precious foreign exchange through export of the livestock product.According to Nabil Arif, CEO PLDDB, more than 100,000 cows would be artificially inseminated under this project in 16 districts of Punjab including, Kasur, Narowal, Muzaffargarh, DG Khan, Layyah, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Mandi Bahaudin, Pakpattan, Hafizabad, Jhelum and Khushab.
The Animal Foundation chairman JI Hashmi said the almost all developed countries have higher yield of meat and milk due to wide usage of cross breeding semen. He said that livestock sector occupies a unique position in the socio-economic development of the country.
It also plays important role in the rural economy as supplementing family incomes and generating gainful employment in the rural population, particularly among the landless labourers, small and marginal farmers and women. Around 30-35 million rural populations is engaged in livestock raising, having household holdings of 2-3 cattle per family which help them to drive 30-40 per cent of their income from livestock. He said that livestock contribution to agriculture value added stood at 55.9 percent while it contributes 11.8 percent to the national GDP during 2013-14. He urged the Punjab government to pass bill for the rights of animals, as livestock cannot be developed without it.
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