Punjab Reviews Major Livestock Initiatives Ahead Of Upcoming Budget

A meeting of the Livestock Department was held under the chairmanship of Provincial Minister for Livestock and Agriculture Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani to review key initiatives ahead of the upcoming provincial budget

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Apr, 2025) A meeting of the Livestock Department was held under the chairmanship of Provincial Minister for Livestock and Agriculture Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani to review key initiatives ahead of the upcoming provincial budget.

The meeting focused on the Livestock Card scheme, asset distribution among rural women, and new proposals under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s directives for livestock development.

Secretary Livestock Punjab, Saqib Ali Ateel and other senior officials attended the session. The minister announced that a significant budgetary allocation is being proposed for the next fiscal year to boost the livestock sector, directly benefiting farmers and improving their livelihoods.

Speaking on the Livestock Card initiative, the minister explained that farmers who repay their loans within the stipulated timeframe (April 15–May 15) will automatically qualify for the next phase. Phase two, spanning six months, will see the distribution of 300,000 animals. Applications for this phase will be accepted from May 15 to June 15, with physical verification by the Urban Unit scheduled between June 9 and July 10. The first loan installment for this phase will be disbursed from July 15, with every new animal tagged for traceability.

The minister also shared that under phase one of the scheme, 5,500 animals have already been distributed to rural women across 12 districts in South Punjab.

During the briefing, officials proposed a Rs12 billion allocation in the 2025-26 budget for three major initiatives of the chief minister and 13 additional projects. These include the Herd Transformation Programme to enhance livestock productivity, the Livestock Department Internship Programme, and the establishment of a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) Free Zone with vaccination in District Bahawalnagar.

Kirmani also announced the launch of the Punjab Livestock CONNECT App, designed to assist slaughterhouses, meat exporters, fattening farms and livestock card beneficiaries. The app enables users to report complaints, access financing options, track disease outbreaks and provide feedback. He emphasised that divisional and district livestock officers must update data on the app every three months, warning that negligence would not be tolerated.

The meeting was attended by Additional Secretary Livestock Usman Tahir, Director Generals (Extension, Production, and Research), and representatives from the Bank of Punjab, Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), and Urban Unit. Divisional Directors of Livestock from South Punjab also participated online.