The poultry industry is not only meeting the requirements of protein in the county but also helping address the issue of malnutrition that is hitting 50 percent of the population, said University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asif Tanveer.

He inaugurated the Poultry Club and World Poultry Sciences Association Library established at the Faculty of Animal Husbandry (FAH) UAF. He was flanked by Dean FAH Prof Dr Muhammad Aslam Mirza, Director Institute of Animal and Dairy Sciences Director Prof Dr Qamar Bilal, Dr Khalid Shouq, Vice President WPSA Nasir Mukhtar and other notables. Prof Dr Asif Tanveer said that quality research work and modern knowledge was prerequisite to increase the productivity. He also called for further cementing academia-industry linkages to get advancement in the poultry industry. He said that after textile, the poultry industry had emerged as the second largest industry in the country. He said that hundreds of people were associated to the industry so that with the strengthened academia –industry ties, it will help boost up further sector. He said eggs must be made the essential part of our intake. Prof Dr Aslam Mirza said that egg is high value food and it also decreases the risk of many diseases like cardiovascular and cancer. He said that the agriculture and livestock sector was the backbone of our economy contributing around 20 percent to the Gross Domestic Product. He said that the sector was working as the backbone of our economy. Prof Dr Qamar Bilal said that protein had played an important role in the formation of balanced human diet. He said that they were starving hard to produce trained manpower in the animal and dairy sciences to meet the demand of the country. He said that enhanced agricultural, dairy and livestock productivity would help ensure the food security of the country.