Livestock card phase 2 from 15th, says Kirmani

LAHORE:Provincial Minister for Livestock and Agriculture Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani Wednesday said the phase-2 of livestock card will consist of six months and applications for it will be received between May 15 and June 1.

During a meeting, Kirmani reviewed critical aspects of the livestock sector, including debt recovery from Livestock Card holders, asset distribution to rural women, and budget proposals for the 2025-26 financial year under Chief Minister Punjab’s initiatives.

Kirmani emphasized the programme’s benefits for livestock farmers, urging Divisional and Additional Directors to expedite debt recovery by deploying additional field officers. He clarified that cardholders repaying loans between April 15 and May 15, 2025, will qualify for the next phase, while defaulters will be excluded from future Livestock Department schemes. Phase 2 will see 300,000 cattle distributed, with physical verification by the Urban Unit from June 9 to July 10, 2025. The first loan installment for this phase will be disbursed starting July 15, with all new animals tagged for traceability.

Under Phase 1, 5,500 cattle were distributed to rural women across 12 South Punjab districts, with an additional 5,500 planned for Phase 2. The minister was updated on the annual development programme, livestock-related regulations, and disease control. Foot and mouth disease is fully managed in Punjab, and no cases of lumpy skin disease have been reported. Over Rs 91 million has been recovered from farmers, with 137 cases filed for Livestock Act violations and 190 FIRs registered against illegal animal slaughter. Additionally, over 100,000 saplings have been planted across the province.

New initiatives include herd transformation to boost production, an internship programme, and a foot and mouth disease-free zone with vaccinations in Bahawalnagar. The Punjab Livestock Connect website now hosts comprehensive data on slaughterhouses, meat exporters, fattening farmers, and Livestock Card holders. The meeting was attended by Secretary Livestock Punjab Saqib Ali Ateel, additional secretary Usman Tahir, Director Generals of Extension, Production, and Research, and representatives from the Bank of Punjab, PITB, and Urban Unit.