Brief History

·       Veterinary Research Institute was established in 1949 to undertake essential research on livestock and poultry diseases, its diagnosis and production of Veterinary Biologics and diagnostic agents.

·               FOUR Veterinary Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VR&DL) at D.I. Khan, Swat, Mansehra and Kohat were established during 1988-91 to extend research and diagnostic facilities to the remote areas. At 2014 FMDRC VRI Peshawar was established to control the crucial Foot & Mouth Disease of the animals.

·          In 1978-79 Livestock Research and Development Farm Surezai was established. It has now been converted into a full Directorate of Livestock Research and Development (DLR&D) and now five research stations in Peshawar, D.I. Khan, Kohat, Dir (Lower) and Mansehra have been established to provide different kind of services to livestock farmers.

·               Under the restructuring of Livestock and Dairy Development Department, a Four Tier Formula was implemented in 2008. As a result the Research Wing of the Department, consisting of Veterinary Research Institute and Livestock Research & Development got Director General (BS-20) apart from up-gradation of Director LRD to BS-20 and creation of other BS-19 and BS-18 posts. The post of Director VRI, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Peshawar, being the senior most in hierarchy, was upgraded to DG. However the Director LR&D was downgraded to BS-19 in 2010.

Role of Livestock

·               Play important role in our economy

·                Income, protein, employment, draft power and fertilization

·               30-35m rural population attach to this sector having 2-3 cattle/buffalo or 5-6 goat/sheep

·               Earning 30-40% income from livestock production activities.

·               Livestock sector contributes 55% of the agriculture and11.8% to National GDP

·               12.3% of total exports derived from livestock

·               Turn over of the livestock sector in 2011-12 was Rs. 756 and 2012-13 was 776 billion with GR of 4.0%

Challenges

?   Low production and reproduction efficiency

?   Epidemics of infectious diseases

?   Small-holders production system

?   Shortage of feed resources

?   Lack of organize marketing system

?   Inadequate Institutional Infrastructure

?   Outdated regulatory framework