By Uzair Ahmed

Director General of the Livestock Department Dr Nazeer Hussain Kalhoro has stated that adding value to livestock products can help to eliminate poverty, generate jobs and drive economic progress in Sindh province. Addressing a consultation session sponsored by the International Trade Centre under its Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Development (GRASP) project, Dr Nazeer said that the livestock-related sector strategies of meat, dairy and leather have tremendous opportunities in product development and that these strategies will help address the challenges in production, quality, and certification, as well as industry linkages.

He said that the strategy design project is a step in the right direction and comes at a good moment, considering the importance of the livestock sector in the province and the lack of an integrated livestock policy. He added that the Livestock Department is dedicated to collaborating with all stakeholders to facilitate the execution of the strategies. According to Dr Nazeer, the dialogue provided a solid platform for future collaboration between the government and the private sector.

The plans for the meat, leather and dairy sectors will guide the government, private sector, and development partners in improving the competitiveness of farmers and small and medium-sized businesses, therefore contributing to modernization, inclusive growth, and job creation for residents, he said. Aligned with national and provincial policy reform programmes, such as the National SME Policy 2020, the strategies will specify clear priorities, culminating in a concrete five-year plan of action (2023-27) that will not only define roles for implementing institutions, but will also provide an implementation management framework, he added.

The session offered a forum for participants to engage in realistic priority setting through actions that enhance value added and help fulfil local demand. The current position and future potential for growing the meat, dairy, and leather value chains were also reviewed.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk