Lahore, World Milk Day was commemorated at the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) in Lahore, with a series of events centered around the theme “Challenges of Sustainable Dairy on Nutrition and Livelihoods in Pakistan.” The day included a walk, a seminar, and various sessions aimed at enhancing awareness of milk’s nutritional benefits and addressing the challenges facing the dairy sector in Pakistan.

According to University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, the event saw significant participation from key figures including Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Mr. Rana Tanveer Hussain, and Secretary Livestock and Dairy Development Department Punjab, Muhammad Masoud Anwar. Discussions at the seminar highlighted the crucial role of the livestock sector in addressing Pakistan’s economic challenges, with a focus on enhancing milk production to meet domestic and export demands.

Mr. Rana Tanveer Hussain emphasized the potential of the livestock sector as a pillar of national GDP and stressed the importance of academia-industry linkages to drive sectoral growth. He noted Pakistan’s ranking as the fourth-largest milk-producing country globally and underscored the government’s commitment to further enhance milk production capacities.

Discussions also touched upon the establishment of a Genomics Center in Lahore, aimed at breed improvement to boost milk and meat production, as mentioned by Secretary Livestock Muhammad Masoud Anwar. Other speakers, including Prof Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan and Dr. Muhammad Akram, called for advancements in technologies such as embryo transfer and artificial insemination to improve milk yields and address nutritional issues like malnutrition and stunting.

The event concluded with a consultative session where stakeholders offered suggestions on reducing production costs, deregulating milk prices, and enhancing farmer capacities to adopt modern farm management practices.