Welcome Shahbaz Sharif as Prime Minister of Pakistan, as a sign of relief after a dark era of frustration of Imran Khan PTI regime.
I am pleased to mention that I have worked on dairy buffaloes for my PhD thesis and found losseses to the tune of US$ 20 billion at national level due to undermanaged livestock resources. The losses were reported in the Frontier Post which were noted by the Chief Minister KP, Mehtab Abbasi who had a meeting with me and asked Prof Shaukat via letter 3-6-2019 to review the Plan prepared by the scientist. The Plan focused on restructuring and refunctioning of the livestock department, transparency of decisions, replacement of repeated funding with a revolving fund and devolution of power to lower levels. Prof Shaukat, after wide-based consultation, recommended implementation of the Plan and predicted that the proposed reforms would enhance efficiency of the services to the industry and reduce the financial burden on the government treasury. However, the initiative could not get continued due to termination of PMLN government through a military coup of 1999.
Later on Chief Minister KP Akram Khan Durrani approved implementation of the plan.
After taking over as Dean Vet Sciences UAP, Prof Qureshi reshaped the postgraduate research, linking it to the issues faced by the livestock/poultry farmers, processors, consumers and other stakeholders. A biennial series of international congresses and industrial exhibitions was launched during 2011continuing through 2013, 2015 at Peshawar, 2017 at Konya and 2019 at Quetta. The themes of these events changed from revival of post flood losses to daily industry up to entrepreneurship development across livestock-based food value chain. Consultation and interaction amongst stakeholders was held regarding productive linkages between the private and public sector organisations, technology transfer, marketing linkages and development of entrepreneurship models.
A presentation was made before the Senior Minister Local Government GoKP on relevant issues. The meeting held on 3-3-2016, was attended by representatives of the Department of LGE&RD, L&DD, PDA, University of Agriculture Peshawar and the private sector, and directed for: i) implementation of the ADP project worth Rs.200 million for establishing a modern slaughter house; ii) supporting academic component of DSP for SMEs and; iii) formulation of DSP Board through an Act of the Provincial Assembly. Pursuantly, Secretary LGE&RD initiated a summary for the Chief Secretary which was appreciated as a novel idea by the Additional Chief Secretary GoKP.
Pursuant to another presentation, the Task Force on Dairy Science Park (DSP) was agreed by Senior Minister LGRD, GoKP, as a temporary arrangement for establishment of the DSP Board in light of a wide-based high-level meeting chaired by the Senior Minister reflected in the note of Secretary LGE&RD GoKP. The Task Force would be helpful in mobilising the provincial livestock resources for welfare of the people. A 50-member delegation of DSP participated in DSP 2017 – Turkey and signed an MoU with Konya Teknokent for establishing Technoparks at Peshawar, Mardan and Quetta. The Task Force was approved by the Chief Minister GoKP on 2 August, 2017.
In the meantime DSP team kept on working on the theme and established Peshawar Meat through DSP Innovations, a private registered company. It costs about Rs 5 lacs and is able to generate income to the tune of Rs 1 lac per month. It will provide an opportunity to the farmers to sell their prime animals at higher rates and consumers to get access to prime meat at appropriate rates. It may be utilised as an entrepreneurship model for generating self employment for the youth and Halal meat production for the local and international market. Entrepreneurship models were established like Royal Dairies, Farmers Sausages and Jan Meat Arcade. Technical and marketing support was provided to these enterprises to get rid of the threats from the district administration, compelling the producers to sell their items at lowest flat rates, denying higher rates for better quality products.
Prof Qureshi joined FAO-UN during July 2019 as National Consultant and prepared KP Livestock Action Plan focused as a relief for the weaker stakeholders across the livestock value chain, in the public and private sectors, within a triple helix model of good governance based upon Academia-Industry-Government-Society Nexus. An autonomous Livestock Technopark Peshawar (LTP), comprising representation from the relevant private and public sector organisations, was suggested to be established, initially as a Task Force through an executive order and later on through an Act of the Legislative Assembly; with full regulatory, administrative, financial and legislative powers to protect all the stakeholders of the livestock industry, and engage all relevant private and public sector organisations with shared authority and responsibility. Prof Qureshi contributed to the formulation of Balochistan Livestock Policy 2019, coordinated by FAO Quetta and established DSP Balochistan Chapter at QCCI.
We welcome the newly launched government led by Honorable Shahbaz Sharif and offer our support for implementing the unfinished agenda in KP and Balochistan for utilizing the indiginous resources to generate decent employment and exportable surpluses across food value chain.
This mission has been launched as a humble effort to interpret Wama arsalnaka illa rahmatullilalameen.
