The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore in collaboration with Livestock and Dairy Development Department Punjab organized a training workshop for focal persons on ‘Ostrich Farming’ in City Campus Lahore.
UVAS Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Masood Rabbani presided over the inaugural session of the workshop while Chairman Department of Poultry Production Prof Dr Athar Mahmood, Pakistan Ostrich Company CEO Raja Tahir Latif, Col Maqsood, Veterinary Officer Dr Talha Yazdani, Media Coordinator Mian Zohaib and 36 focal persons from different districts of all over the Punjab were present.
Prof Dr Masood Rabbani speaking on the occasion said that in our country ostrich farming have huge potential and it has many opportunities for the benefit of ostrich farming community. He shared nutritional importance of ostrich meat for better health of human body. He mentioned that only those poultry industrialist are flourished theirs businesses in Pakistan who run their businesses on scientific lines by adopting new methodologies, technologies and innovations.
He spoke about misconceptions about poultry meat and poultry feed on social media and said that these are only misconceptions, there is no truth in them. No steroids are added to poultry feed and accelerated of the growth of chicken are due to its genetics.
He lauded the organizers of the training to arrange such an informative workshop for the facilitating of ostrich farming community. He said UVAS diagnostics labs providing disease diagnostics facilities to stakeholders for the welfare of their animals and maximum peoples getting benefits from UVAS labs.
During training workshop experts from public and private sectors were delivered their lectures on the topics of ostrich farming including general information of ostrich breeding and incubation, introduction of Punjab Ostrich Development Project and its facts & figures, major issues and problems faced by farmers, general problems, grievances of ostrich farmers, solution & management, ostrich industry current status and suggestions, marketing ostrich meat and its by- products, common diseases and their management & treatment, nutrition requirements, watering and feeding management of ostrich, company made feed & homemade feed and green fodders etc.