Academia-Industry collaboration only way for development of dairy sector: Chairperson PHEC LAHORE (09-07-19): The University of Veterinary and Animal

Academia-Industry collaboration only way for development of dairy sector: Chairperson PHEC

LAHORE (09-07-19): The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore organised a stakeholders meeting on ‘Academia-Industry Research Drive for Dairy Sector” at City Campus on Tuesday.

Chairperson Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Prof Dr Fazal Ahmad Khalid presided over the meeting and sought suggestions and technical inputs from stakeholder for development of dairy sector to catering the needs of country. 

UVAS Vice-Chancellor Meritorious Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha and other representatives from dairy industries, stakeholders from public and private dairy sectors across the country, Buffalo Breeders Association and a large number of academicians, researchers and professionals were attended. 

Speaking on the occasion, Chairperson (PHEC) Prof Dr Fazal Ahmad Khalid said that aim of the meeting was to provide a platform to all the stakeholders to promote innovation in dairy sector and discussed various important issues, major constraints, requirements and challenges to address the challenges being faced in development of dairy sectors. 

He also assured to UVAS possible support of PHEC to curb the issues enhance research facilities for development of dairy sector in Punjab. He said university must allow and providing opportunities to faculty members for practical experience and work in the field. He said it is direly needed to update our curriculum according to the modern day need. He congratulated and lauded the UVAS for playing his lead role for development of livestock and related sectors and solves the issues and challenges through its quality of education and research in the country. 

Earlier Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha gave a detailed presentation regarding the contribution of UVAS in dairy sector. In which he spoke about the dairy animal species in country, feed resources, dairy processing, importance of rural entrepreneurship development, fodder production, test analysis, techniques development and dairy animals health issues, feed management facilities, analysis techniques, dairy quality products, technology and human resource development, industries and stakeholders collaboration and Sino Pak Buffalo Research Center etc. He said 3650 research articles regarding dairy sector have been publish so far by UVAS researchers. 

Prof Pasha said that UVAS laboratories UDL, QOL, and CLC are providing disease diagnostics, food and feed analysis facilities while 24/7 extension services, clinical and advisory services also providing by university for the facilitation of poor farming community as well as development of poultry, dairy industries in country. He shared that UVAS is setting up Training Centre for Biologics Production on its Ravi Campus Pattoki. He said this vaccine production unit is very necessary to prevent fatal foot and mouth disease. He also spoke about the brucellosis and Theileria deadly disease of dairy animals. VC Pasha said that UVAS conducted various short term training programmes, workshops and conferences for imparting technical knowledge and skills to professionals for strengthen dairy sector in country. 

An open discussion was held and all the participants put forward various suggestions for development of dairy sector. They recommended need to work on food safety and food security issues, use simple language for imparting technical knowledge to farming community and reducing the feed cost. They suggested quality evaluation procedure should be adopt while making silage and fodder production, start associate degree and training programs and improving reproductive technologies for enhancing of our local dairy animals breed. They also called the rates of cow and buffalo milk should be different.