PAKISTAN – The nation’s poultry industry involves 1.5 million people and accounts for almost 10 per cent of livestock growth, according to a leading academic in Lahore.
Lahore University’s Veterinary and Animal Science Vice Chancellor, Professor Talat Naseer Pasha, has said that poultry is the most vibrant sector in Pakistan with an annual growth of eight to 10 per cent, reports The News of Pakistan.
Speaking at a seminar, ‘Modern Concepts for Poultry Production’ organised by UVAS on 12 September, the vice-chancellor said poultry industry was generating employment and income for 1.5 million people and contributing 4.81 per cent in agriculture growth and 9.84 per cent in livestock growth.
Also, poultry meat now accounts for 28 per cent of the total meat production in Pakistan, he added.
Talking about the initiatives of UVAS for linkages with industry, Professor Pasha said that promoting linkages with the industry was one of the priorities of the university.
Speaking about future challenges for poultry sector, the vice-chancellor said it was facing competition for feed ingredients from other animal industries such as dairy and meat.
He said the sector was also facing marketing challenges to enter export markets.
The report in The News added that Pakistan Poultry Association Chairman, Ghulam Mehboob, Professor Habib-ur-Rehman, Dr Shahzad Jadoon, Dr Shahbaz Yousaf and Dr Hafsa Zaneb also spoke on the occasion.
