About Us
National Center for Livestock Breeding, Genetics & Genomics (NCLBG&G) is being established in Pakistan to address the core issues of the livestock sector. Overall mission of the NCLBG&G is to improve food and nutritional security and to reduce poverty in the country through research in terms of improved genetic potential of indigenous livestock for efficient, safe, and sustainable use of livestock-ensuring better lives through livestock. Followings are the objectives of the National Center:
- Generation of highly skilled Human Resource in Animal Breeding Genetics & Genomics by imparting teaching & research at postgraduate levels.
- Establishment of Hi-tech laboratories of Molecular Genetics & Genomics and Population &
Quantitative Genetics. - Development of genomics and information technology unit for the management of genetic resources on a country level.
- Investigations into characterization and maintenance of farm animal’s genetic resources
and development of breeding objectives for all classes. - Expansion of international collaboration across the globe to meet the short term and long term needs of the national livestock industry.
- Consultative role in formulation of national breeding policy for all classes of livestock and
dissemination to quarter concerned and training of livestock farmers.
The NCLBG&G is being established at Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University’s location at Rawat. A semen production unit is being established at Koont Research Farm (KRF), Mandra- Chakwal Road in tehsil Gujjar Khan, district Rawalpindi. This lead center is accompanied with sub centers in all provinces and Azad Jammu & Kashmir viz. University of Agriculture, Faisalabad; Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences, Lasbela, Balochistan. The University of Poonch, Rawalakot, AJK; Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, Sindh and University of Agriculture Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with more recently adopted sub-center at Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bahwalpur.
The NCLBG&G is being supervised by a National Steering Committee (NSC) which is chaired by Executive Director of HEC, Islamabad. For technical matters, a Scientific Committee (SC) is there consisting of eminent experts in the field of Animal Breeding and Genetics/Genomics. Moreover, a Scientific and Industrial Advisory Board (SIAB) consisting of local and foreign academicians, researchers and industrialist does exist to oversee the direction of center activities in the perspective of industry needs.
Central Project Director
Vision
We, the faculty, staff, and students, aspire to be the premier source of:
- Basic knowledge of genetics and develop students with life skills and knowledge and to engage and serve the public and the people who produce animals and animal products.
- Professionally trained individuals in animal breeding, genetics and genomics
- Assistance for producers and agribusinesses for breeding of livestock for sustainable genetic improvement
- Information to support the contributions of animals to society
- Knowledge of sustainable and environmentally friendly practices
- Technology to produce desirable, safe, and nutritious animal-derived foods
We will achieve this vision through interactive learning, superior scholarship, and client-focused engagement with students, agricultural professionals and consumers.
CURBING MALNUTRITION AND ALLEVIATING POVERTY THROUGH GENETICALLY IMPROVED, CLIMATICALLY SUSTAINABLE ANIMALS
Mission
The mission of the NCLBG&G is to use education and technological tools to:
- Improve food and nutritional security to enhance human well-being through nutritious, desirable, and safe improved animal production by application of breeding and genomics sciences.
- Reduce the poverty in the country through research in terms of improved genetic potential of indigenous livestock through discovery, development, and dissemination of knowledge related to animal breeding & genetics in genomics era in order to promote economically viable, socially acceptable, and environmentally sustainable systems of breeding and genetic improvement for local livestock species.
Values/Targeted Impact of NCLBG&G
- The NCLBG&G will deploy the genomic methods to increase genetic gain for milk
production in Sahiwal cattle and Nili-Ravi buffalo populations. - The genomic selection technology is expected to decrease generation interval in cattle
from 7.6 year to 3.6 years - Cost of proving bull would decrease from 39.64 Mill PKR to 4.67 Mill PKR
- Genomic technology will be transferred to 75 public or/and private farms
- This NCLBG&G is expected to boost up the inter-provincial harmony and will also
enhance the spirit of nationalism - Current efforts of livestock genetic improvement will be uplifted to reach international
standards - It would help the alleviation of poverty though improving lives by improving livestock
- Local livestock breeds will survive in improved form
- Least livestock impact on environment in the form of lesser methane emission by
reducing livestock number as result of vertical increase in production instead of horizontal
increase - It is expected to soften the international image of Pakistan by winning international
collaborations with technologically advanced countries on livestock genomic improvement - It will be first ever and largest livestock national consortium in the country that is also
expected to become the part of international consortiums of livestock genetic & genomic
improvement - Two new post-graduate degree programs of Genetics and Genomics (master and PhD
level) will be initiated to train human resource for livestock sector. Moreover in future an
undergraduate program related to genetics & genomics may also be initiated by NCLBG&G
keeping in view the market demand. - Current post-graduate annual enrollment is 7 that is expected to enhance to 70
including sub centers - Scientific publications are expected to reach 15 per year
- Sixty students will be given professional trainings on livestock genomics
- Nine professional trainings and one farmers training workshops are expected to be
conducted - Four livestock breeds are expected to be characterized