PESHAWAR, Aug 25 (APP):The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) signed a handover annotation with the Director General, Livestock and Dairy Development Department, KP and provided 174,000 doses of vaccine for the control of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).

The organization according the information made public, had recently constructed a cold storage and provided 42 Chillers whereas provision of the cold chain reefer is underway which will ensure maintenance of the cold chain system for vaccines within KP.

Besides other, the Department also received 17,900 doses of semen under the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL), State Department, United States of America (USA) funded “Alternative Livelihoods through High Value Crops Project (ALOP)” of FAO for the improvement of cattle and buffalo breed in the province.

Minister for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Cooperatives, KP Mohibullah Khan, Secretary Agriculture, Dr Muhammad Israr Khan, DG Livestock & Dairy Development, Dr Alam Zeb, Head of Office a.i. FAO, KP Mujibur Rahman and other FAO and L&DD officials were also present on the occasion.

The minister appreciated and thanked FAO, KP for the continued support to the allied department of Agriculture and stressed the need for joining hands with the provincial government against the recently declared ‘lumpy skin disease’ of livestock.

Secretary Agriculture, KP lauded the long-lasting collaboration between the KP Government and FAO.

He also asked the FAO representatives in the meeting to explore funding with their development partners for fighting against the Lumpy Skin outbreak in the province and said that it was the top priority for the Government of KP.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been supporting the Livestock and Dairy Development Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in strengthening its capacity to overcome the emerging challenges and increase livestock sector’s contribution to the provincial economy.

FAO in the recent past, has provided the Department with FMD and PPR vaccines and sexed semen for the promotion of elite breed of cattle, which had proved very effective in controlling the FMD disease during 2021 and getting female calves with superior trait.