Caritas cowsheds help poor farmers

More than 62 famers received cowshed material in Sargodha and Khushab as temperature drops below 20 degree Celsius.

Caritas Pakistan held two distribution events for small farmers in Khushab and Sargodha on Dec 29 and 30 respectively. Mr. Amjad Gulzar, Executive Director of Caritas Pakistan visited 20 farmers of village 79 NB (Sargodha) to hand over the cowshed-building material. The purpose of cowshed material is to help farmers to collect animal urine for making bio-pesticide and also protect livestock from extreme winter.

Dr. Tabbasum from livestock department Sargodha held an awareness session with cattle owners and offered full support to Caritas Pakistan in future programs.

The diocesan unit distributed cowshed material to 42 farmers from 7 villages of Khushab. It concluded iron sheets, cement, wooden beams, tarpaulin and hand hoes.

“It was part of the SAFBIN (Smallholder Adaptive Farming and Biodiversity Network), a Caritas regional program for smallholder farmers in South Asia. Cows and cattle are a vital source of income for poor farmers. We are advising them to improve the sheds and secure their investment,” said Mr. Amjad Gulzar Executive Director Caritas Pakistan

Mr. Mahnaz DPO (District Project Officer) also urged the locals to protect their livestock amid winter season and apply bio-pesticide to reduce the use of external inputs.

Mr. Kamran Sattar (Executive Secretary CPIR) said that “cowshed material will help in livestock productivity and will raise standards of preventive health and I hope our long term program will help farming community.”