As a part of the USAID Dairy Project, various artificial insemination technicians were working with local Pakistani farmers in the city of Multan, to improve the cattle and produce more milk, which would help the surrounding areas. These farmers live in remote, hard-to-reach locations, and the technicians are forced to travel there often. Therefore, Jock Conly, who is the Mission Director for Pakistan, donated 129 motorbikes to these technicians through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
These technicians completed the USAID Dairy Project training program, which lasted five weeks, and focused on artificial insemination. USAID, through the US government, has been committed to helping improve Pakistan’s economy over the past few years. The USAID Dairy Project has helped almost 3,000 people in rural Punjab support their families by getting jobs and earning money. They have got jobs as technicians, farm managers, and animal healthcare workers. These technicians, with their new motorbikes, can increase production of dairy productions (through cattle) throughout Southern Punjab; they have a farther range than they would previously, which is extremely important.
The USAID Dairy Project distributed 129 motorbikes in this round, but they had previously donated 340 others. USAID, with the Dairy and Rural Development Foundation, plan to continue training artificial insemination technicians in Pakistan, particularly in South Punjab. The Director of the USAID Dairy Project, Jack Moser, believes the project helps unemployed youth turn into entrepreneurs and gain skills that they can use in a helpful way in their lives, and is not merely a “free handout” – it is a learned skill that will boost the economy and benefit the surrounding areas. The overall goal is to help these youth, and to help dairy farmers producer healthier cattle that will make more milk, which overall, will result in more income for the farmers.
– Corina Balsamo
Sources: Pakistan Observer, The Free Library, The Daily Times
Photo: Flickr