Government to ensure profitable livestock production: Malkani
By Tariq Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD—Minister of State for Food, Agriculture and Livestock Muhammad Ali Malkani has said that government’s new initiatives will increase the level of technical education of farmers and help ensure profitable livestock production.
Addressing the opening session of ICADA workshop on “Women, Livelihood, Goat project in Afghanistan and Pakistan” here on Sunday the minister said, the government is providing policy support, research, education and training to the public sector to enhance crop and livestock productivity on regular basis.
The Malkani said, ministry will nurture favourable environment for facilitating required improvements in the development of improved goat production packages in the marginal areas of the country.
“We appreciate the most needed technical support being provided by ICARDA and FAO and financial support from IFAD for helping us in strengthening our efforts during this transitional path of agricultural development we are perusing to best of our institutional capacities,” he added.
The Minister said, they are looking forward to work as a partner to evolve new knowledge and technologies that not only suit to the rural households of marginal areas but also to the country as a whole. “We need technical assistance to work in the goat production areas like breeding services, improved fodder and forage production, range lands development, goat milk and meat processing and knowledge and skill development among rural women folk to ensure quality and low cost livestock products supplies,” he added.
Malkani said,” we appreciate the participation of distinguished delegates from Afghanistan to share their experiences and jointly plan the dairy goat development strategies with their counterparts in Pakistan”. The minister assured that the government of Pakistan would lend full support to the project. Director ICARDA Sidahmed and Dr Carla De Gregorio from IFAD also addressed the session. The representatives of FAO and delegates from Afghanistan and Pakistan attended the session.