President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi said that there is a basic need to create awareness of modern techniques in the dairy sector as it will help generate employment opportunities in the country and earn foreign exchange through the export of milk-based products.
Speaking to a delegation of the Pakistan Dairy Association (PDA), he highlighted that the dairy sector had played a vital role in growth and development of the national economy.
“Pakistan is the fourth largest milk producer in the world and over 8 million families are making a living out of milk produced by cows in the country,” he said. “Dairy sector contributes about 11% to the GDP of Pakistan.”
In a conducive environment, “this industry has the potential to become an economic powerhouse for the country,” he stressed.
However, the lack of knowledge and modern skills regarding dairy farming were the major problems and were becoming bottlenecks to realising the potential, he said.
He assured the dairy sector stakeholders of the full support of the government aimed at resolving their issues, providing a level playing field, and enabling the environment to enhance milk production. The dairy association delegation comprised PDA Vice-Chairman Haseeb Aslam, PDA CEO Dr. Shehzad Amin, and FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan Corporate Affairs Director Syed Saud Ahmed Pasha.
