UVAS Dairy Beef Project & PARC jointly holds workshop on “First Science into Action”

LAHORE (Pakistan Point News - 09th Aug, 2021) The Dairy Beef Project of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore in collaboration with Pakistan Agricultural Research Council organised “First Science into Action” workshop at Islamabad.

Australian High Commission Dr Geoffrey Shaw was the chief guest while UVAS Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Nasim Ahmad, Vice-Chancellor University of education Lahore (UE) Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha, Animal husbandry Commissioner Dr Khurshid Ahmed and representatives from livestock department Punjab, Sindh, KPK and Baluchistan, NRSP, LDDB, stakeholders from private sector participated in workshop.

Dr David McGill Project Leader and many other Australian experts virtually joined the event.
Dr Geoffrey Shaw highlighted the importance of whole family extension approach for smallholder farmers to increase the farm production and profit.

The Australian team; Research Program Manager Dr Anna Okello, Australian Center for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR) gave virtual talk on ACIAR’s experience with policy engagement with various examples of livestock extension systems which has encountered.

The discussion was on the current livestock extension systems, its challenges, and solutions. The participants bring up ideas to improve and support the policies recommendations for best extension services and implementation for smallholder farming families.

This includes the regular training of farm advisors, quality extension material and capacity building of farmers (men, women and children) to improve farmer’s awareness, skills and farm production and profit.

The objectives of the workshop were to providing the opportunity to participants to learn and share experiences with each other regarding livestock extension and veterinary services in Pakistan with a specific focus on policies/programs targeted at smallholder farmers, to share key Dairy-Beef project lessons regarding smallholder support services and the broader extension system, co-design national, provincial and organizational policies recommendations to positively impact the extension system and smallholder farmers and to develop recommendations based on insights from the Dairy-beef project and the livestock ‘science into action’ discussion group.