SARGODHA, Oct 14 (APP):Additional Director Livestock Sargodha Region, Dr. Naila Maqsood, has said that the Punjab government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, is working on a war footing to uplift the livestock sector through practical and result-oriented initiatives.
According to a spokesperson on Wednesday, she highlighted that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif recently launched and digitally inaugurated the Livestock Card Phase II by swiping the card during a special ceremony, where a documentary on the department’s performance was also showcased.
Dr. Naila noted that the Chief Minister expressed great satisfaction over the 96 percent recovery ratio recorded under Livestock Card Phase I. Earlier, Provincial Minister for Livestock Ashiq Hussain Kirmani and Secretary Livestock Ahmed Aziz Tarar briefed the gathering on the scheme.
Detailing the features of the initiative, Dr. Naila said that farmers receive Rs 27,000 for each cattle through the livestock card, enabling them to obtain interest-free loans for quality feed including vinda, silage, and mineral mixtures. She added that farmers can also withdraw 25 percent of the interest-free loan in cash through ATMs.
Under Phase II, the government has set a target to boost meat production through a balanced diet for 600,000 cattle over two years, providing interest-free loans totaling Rs 16.2 billion. While farmers will repay the principal amount, the Punjab government will bear the entire interest cost. Additionally, the card provides free tagging and anti-foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination for cattle.
Highlighting sector growth, the Additional Director shared that 23,000 farmers have been directly linked with meat exporters via the Livestock Connect portal, following the signing of MoUs with eight major meat export companies. For the first time in Punjab, the number of registered women farmers has surged from 90 to 1,107.
She further said that animal exports from Punjab witnessed a 43 percent increase, while meat exports grew by $96 million within a single year. Concluding her briefing, Dr. Naila stated that 23,312 livestock cards have been prepared for farmers across the province, including more than 8,800 cards allocated for Sargodha district.
Source: APP (Associated Press of Pakistan)
