He appreciated low-cost nutritional strategies developed by University based on fruit and vegetable waste for livestock and suggested that research work on concentrated whey for its utilization as animal feed should also be conducted by the university. He discussed different points of animal nutrition and ethnoveterinary medicines and shared his own experiences with Moringa as animal feed in improving their production and preventing diseases such as mastitis.
The Minister visited the University Dairy farm and showed a keen interest in breed improvement programs being carried out by the University on Murrah and Nili Ravi buffaloes, Sahiwal cattle and Beetal goats. He stressed using in-vitro fertilization technique for fast breed improvement of indigenous breeds of cow and buffalo. He was of the opinion that cost-effective Embryo Transfer Technology may yield better results in the breed improvement. For Piggery, he discussed steps to be taken to stop inbreeding and appreciated efforts of University for adopting artificial insemination to improve conception rates and better utilization of superior quality males.
Applauding significant contribution of the university in developing shrimp farming in saline areas of the state, the minister informed that the Shrimp farming industry will be promoted in saline areas of Punjab, Haryana & UP by developing an export the hub in the region. He was also apprised about the work conducted on the estimation of cost of milk production at farm level in Punjab, and it was requested that it should be included in the network project of ICAR for better data generation and policy formulation.
Minister visited the University Veterinary Hospital and appreciated the facilities developed for the treatment of small and large animals. He was apprised of the common diseases of dairy animals and steps to prevent them.
An impressive exhibition by different colleges of the University was arranged to explain the research, extension and academic activities of the institute.
Raj Kamal Chaudhary, Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development, Punjab, Dr BS Dhillon, VC, PAU, Directors of line departments, officers and HoDs of GADVASU attended the program.
