By Qudsia Bano ISLAMABAD, Mar 10 (INP-WealthPK): The provincial government of Punjab in Pakistan is taking initiatives to increase milk and meat output as part of its efforts to contribute more to the country’s economy. Dr Yasir Naqvi, Section Officer (I&C) in Livestock, Punjab, told WealthPK that the provincial government plans to support commercial cattle and dairy development. He said that the livestock breed improvement initiative is important for improving the genetic traits of local cattle, as well as helping to improve Halal products and their export. “This sector is significant to the country's economic growth, food security, and poverty reduction. There is a lot of room for investment in the livestock and dairy industries, particularly in value-added goods,” he noted. The official said that Livestock Department is working to boost milk and meat production in Punjab. He mentioned initiatives by the government for achieving the desired objectives, including availability of exotic semen for cattle, silage machines for farmers, poultry birds’ distribution in Punjab, Save the Calve, fattening project, genomics project and semen sexing project, tax relief for poultry and dairy sector, ease of doing business for the industry, introduction of regulations, acts for standards, quality and regulation of the sector. Dr Yasir told WealthPK that the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade's efforts to bring all stakeholders together to discuss and identify ways to fully harness the sector's potential are getting appreciation. He said livestock is one of the most important and largest sub-sectors in agriculture and that it can have a significant impact on the country's foreign exchange. “With continued government support and the dissemination of cutting-edge practical knowledge and skills to stakeholders, this sector can be converted into a billion-dollar enterprise,” he said. Husnain Bahadur Dreshak, Punjab Minister for Livestock and Dairy Development, said in a recent meeting that revolutionary initiatives are being taken to increase milk and meat output, as the provincial government is determined to make the livestock, dairy, and poultry sectors a success story. The minister assured the participants of a public-private dialogue organised by the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade that the feedback they provided would be used to devise strategies in the province. The government has introduced the first livestock policy for food security, poverty reduction, and increased national income, with the goal of achieving double-digit growth in the livestock sector by 2025 with private sector assistance. According to the government’s recent policy, the livestock sector employs more than 8 million farmers in Pakistan, and the sector's annual growth rate is barely 4%. Modern organic livestock farming is expected to increase the number of farm animals, which now stands at 120 million, and the legislation to establish the Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health Authority will be implemented. The value of livestock exceeds the total value of all main and minor crops by around 6.1 percent. Livestock goods account for nearly a third of all foreign exchange generated. More importantly, livestock provides a major portion (30-40%) of the income for around 30 to 35 million rural farmers. Currently, the reported gross value addition of livestock is Rs1,466 billion, with livestock accounting for 8.5 percent of exports. The poultry industry is one of the most thriving segments of the livestock industry. The poultry industry is currently investing more than Rs700 billion. Over the previous five years, this industry has been growing at an outstanding rate of 8% each year.