LAHORE  - A two-day International Symposium on Dairy Animal Reproduction with the theme “New knowledge new practices” began at the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore on Monday.
Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) Pro-Chancellor Syed Babar Ali inaugurated the symposium organised by the Department of Theriogenology of the UVAS in collaboration with the Society of Animal Reproduction Pakistan (SARP). Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha, UVAS Ex-Vice-Chancellor, and SARP Patron-in-Chief Prof Dr Manzoor Ahmad were present on the occasion.  
Plenary lectures, poster contest sessions, presentations and group discussions covering the areas of animal reproduction, animal health, nutrition and breeding and genetics are featuring the symposium. This event has attracted a large number of national and international experts related to dairy animal reproduction from USA, Canada, Brazil, India, Turkey, Nepal, Afganistan and Pakistan.  
Speaking on the occasion, Syed Babar Ali said that such symposium is very important for genetic improvement and development of local breeds. The livestock sector is a rapidly growing sub-sector and central to the livelihood of rural people. He said that it is playing an important role in national food security and rural economic uplift and can play a more vibrant role in economic development, employment generation and socio-economic stability of rural areas provided a level playing field is available to its stakeholders.
He said that it is a stark reality that livestock sector based on modern reproductive techniques in our country is in infancy and there is a lot of space for modern research based inputs. He also said there is revolutionary development in our poultry industry here in Pakistan. This is the time for our scientists to step forward and pave the path for sustainable development. He urged the professors and scientists to look into the future strategies to improve livestock productivity and health by the application of modern reproductive techniques.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha described the history of university and its academic and research programs. He said that the UVAS has developed state-of-the-art clinics, teaching, training, research and diagnostic facilities. The student body is now over 4,900, which has an intake from all over Pakistan with reserved seats from FATA, Balochistan, Afghanistan and Azad Kashmir. He said that as per the latest assessment of HEC we got 93.3% score and achieved highest ‘W’ category and secured 3rd position in HEC ranking of Agricultural / Veterinary Universities of Pakistan. “The demand for livestock and livestock products is at increase mainly due to increasing human population, trend of urbanization, enhanced per capita income and export opportunities,” he said.
Prof Pasha said that the purpose of the symposium is to involve the livestock stakeholder for their inputs in order to achieve faster, better and shared development leading to economic gains at the same time fulfilling the consumers and importers requirements. Future road map has the milestones in the shape of entering the global Halal Food Market with credible veterinary certification, controlling trans-boundary animal diseases of trade and economic importance. A number of stalls of various companies were set up at the symposium. Later Syed Babar Ali and Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha, delegates and guests visited many stalls and talked to stall owner asking about their products.