Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the restructuring of the Livestock and Dairy Development Board and ordered the preparation of a strategy within one week to establish a livestock vaccine production plant at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC).
Chairing a high-level meeting on ongoing reforms in the livestock sector, the prime minister said the board should become an effective, functional organisation by incorporating private-sector experts.
He directed officials to present a restructuring plan for the board as soon as possible. The board was established in 2007 to promote livestock breeding, increase milk and meat production and develop Pakistan’s livestock sector.
The prime minister also directed that imported livestock housed in dedicated bonded warehouses undergo value-addition processes to produce meat and dairy products for export, and called on the private sector to play a greater role in developing the livestock industry.
Shehbaz Sharif said the federal government would establish a national-level plant to produce modern, effective livestock vaccines using its own resources, directing officials to submit a strategy within one week for the facility at NARC.
During the meeting, the prime minister was briefed on progress in livestock sector reforms and measures aimed at increasing exports. Officials informed the meeting that the process of third-party audits of slaughterhouses had begun.
The meeting was also informed that livestock vaccines currently available in Pakistan lacked approval from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), and steps were being taken to facilitate domestic production of purified vaccines.
Officials said measures were also underway to establish dedicated bonded warehouses for imported livestock.
Federal Ministers Rana Tanveer Hussain, Ahsan Iqbal, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Dr Musadik Masood Malik, Ahad Khan Cheema and Jam Kamal Khan, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani and senior officials of relevant institutions attended the meeting.
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