News From : DagangHalal.com (06 Oct 2009)
ISLAMABAD, Oct 5 (APP): Pakistan is ready to offer expertise to Malaysia for joint research and development in buffalo industry for a mutually beneficial cooperation. Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Malaysia Lt Gen (retd) Tahir Mahmud Qazi said in a meeting with Dato Dr Abd Aziz bin Jamaluddin, Director General Veterinary Services of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.
The High Commissioner said Pakistan can offer export of live Neeli Ravi buffaloes and will also welcome further collaboration in conducting feasibilities studies, providing services of veterinary doctors and experiences of management practices of buffalo breeding.
He said the other services in buffalo industry include artificial insemination, early calving, better breeding programme, milk optimization and milk processing to assist Malaysia.
Malaysia on its part may provide research grants and test facilities, besides considering to import experts and skilled labour from Pakistan to assist Malaysia in these projects, he added.
The High Commissioner informed the Director General that as per Economic Survey of Pakistan held in 2007-08, there are 31.8 million cattle (mainly Sahiwal breed) and 29.0 million buffalo (mainly Neeli Ravi breed) which are termed as one of the best breeds of the world.
He said Pakistan also supports four semen production units capable of producing 2.05 million doses of semen annually besides an independent Buffalo Research Institute involved in exclusive research on different parameters of buffalo breeding in the country.
These facilities can be shared with Malaysia on mutually agreed terms, he added.
Tahir Qazi also offered import of high quality buffalo meat from Pakistan to Malaysia and sought Malaysia’s cooperation to speed up the process of Halal, Health and Hygiene certification of Meat products imported from Pakistan to Malaysia.
The Malaysian Director General welcomed the proposal said his department will seriously consider these offers and may also send a delegation to Pakistan to inspect these facilities and study the prospects of cooperation in the buffalo industry.
He also informed the High Commissioner that Malaysia has already launched a medium scale buffalo program in Kedah after successful launching of a small buffalo breeding project in Langkawi. In addition, they have already imported Murrah breed of buffaloes which they plan to distribute to three stations for pilot breeding programme.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan