AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSION
ISLAMABAD

Press Release

Australia promotes trade, cooperation and development with Pakistan dairy farmers

30 January 2013

Pakistan’s expanding dairy sector offers exciting opportunities for trade, cooperation and development between Pakistan and Australia, the Australian High Commissioner HE Peter Heyward said in Lahore last night.

Addressing a dairy and livestock industry reception at the Avari Hotel Lahore, High Commissioner Heyward praised Pakistan’s dairy companies for their significant expansion over the past six years based on herds of cows imported from Australia.

The Minister for Livestock Mr Ali Ahmad Aulakh was Chief Guest at the event which was attended by leading companies in the dairy sector from across Pakistan.

“Australia is the largest exporter of live animals in the world,” Mr Heyward said. “We are proud of the high standards of breeding and careful management that goes into the production of high quality animals for all markets including the dairy cattle market in Pakistan.

“The export of live Australian dairy cattle to Pakistan since 2007 has laid the foundation for a very successful dairy industry in Pakistan, but it is only the start of the story, there are many more areas where Pakistan and Australia could cooperate to enhance the dairy sector.

“These include research and development; herd genetics; enhancing milking performance; sophisticated plant and animal breeding programs; pasture and grazing management and, of course, education and training of staff,” Mr Heyward said.

Mr Heyward also praised the ongoing work of the dairy component of the Agriculture Sector Linkages Program (ASLP) conducted under the auspices of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) in Lahore.

“ASLP is an outstanding collaborative development program which adapts Australian farming technology to help alleviate poverty among Pakistani smallholder farmers. It targets improved productivity, marketing of product and employment opportunities,” High Commissioner Heyward said.

“I thank the Chief Minister and the Government of Punjab for their continuing cooperation in delivering the ASLP dairy program to farmers in the Punjab.”

The Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner of Australia’s Trade Commission, Mr Patrick Kearins, also attended the event in Lahore.
 

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