Shortage of breeding stallions in Pakistan highlighted.

TOBA TEK SINGH -- At an international seminar on equine husbandry and breeding GMPs at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, on Tuesday, Dera Ismail Khan Agriculture University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Masroor Elahi Babar stated there is a lack of breeding stallions in Pakistan and that consequently, steps must be taken to utilise the potential of equines.

According to him, there are 116 million horses in the world, including 57m horses, 50.5m donkeys and 7.9m mules.

According to him, there are 6.7m horses, 5.7m donkeys, and 200,000 mules living in Pakistan. He said the horse is considered a symbol of strength and power around the world. Horses and mounted warriors have been partners for thousands of years. He listed the problems: a lack of trained manpower; no availability of stallion semen in countries like Pakistan; higher prices of imported stallion semen; and a shortage of artificial insemination for genetic improvement.

Dean of the Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Prof Dr Qamar Bilal, said that agriculture is the backbone of our economy, while poverty is directly linked to the agriculture and livestock sectors. He advocated for increased livestock production through research and pre-animal production. He said that last year, the university arranged one of the world's largest equine shows with 2,200 stallions.

Animal and Dairy Sciences Director Prof Dr Riaz Ahmad Virk said that man and horse have an endless relationship. He added that a large amount of time and money was invested in breeding top-rate racehorses. Prof Dr Shea Porr from the USA and Johanna Gandorfer from Germany also spoke.

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