PM’s initiative for backyard poultry farming inaugurated

ISLAMABAD: The government on Monday inaugurated the backyard poultry initiative which is designed to provide five million pre-vaccinated high laying birds throughout the country including Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The total cost of the project is Rs1.635 billion. Of this, 30 percent cost would be borne by the governments (federal and provincial) while 70 percent would be the beneficiary share.

Minister for National Food Security and Research Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan along with Punjab Minister for Livestock and Dairy Development Sardar Hasnain Bahadar Dreshak and Jahangir Khan Tareen inaugurated the backyard poultry initiative in Poultry Research Institute Rawalpindi.

Sahibzada Mehboob Sultan said this programme is one of the steps for the provision of animal protein and other food nutrients to under nourished population. The minister further said that the provision of cheap poultry products is a good step to address the issue of malnutrition.

“It is with immense pleasure that I am inaugurating the backyard poultry project,” he said. Under the project, five million vaccinated chickens would be distributed at subsidised rates and would be accessible to all and sundry.

Mehboob Sultan said that according to National Nutrition Survey 2018-19, 40 percent children up to five years of age in Pakistan have different physical and mental health issues, and according to the survey conducted by Unicef, Pakistan ranks third in this menace.

Sultan said this project could prove vital for our women especially those residing in villages.

This initiative will strengthen them physically and economically, as the government strongly believes that empowering womenfolk would guarantee a bright future.

Hasnain Dreshak said this project is a big leap towards self-reliance and poverty alleviation.

Jahangir Tareen vowed to bring agriculture revolution for which no stone will be left unturned. Tareen said that after successful completion of these initiatives, Pakistan would be able to export agricultural products instead of importing.