In continuation to national consultancy for FAO-UN, the International Trade Centre - WTO/UN provided me an opportunity as National Consultant, to contribute in reducing the hardships faced by the people of Balochistan, getting benefits from the natural resources available in the form of sheep, camels, goats, poultry, and cattle. ITC is focusing on internationalization of micro, small, and medium enterprises in selected districts of Balochistan under the EU-funded "Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Progress" project. Four universities and public sector organizations (PSOs) each and Balochistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BCCI) were consulted to participate in the process and contribute their regulatory, academic, financial, natural and human resources for transformation of livestock resources into an entrepreneurial network through a triple helix good governance model of academia-industry-government nexus. The consultative process led to recommendation to establish Livestock Technopark Quetta comprising two Centers of Excellence (CE) at universities and nine Livestock Entrepreneurship Development Centers (LEDC) at PSOs. University graduates would be facilitated to establish startups utilizing demonstrated-feasible models. CEs would provide academic and LEDCs would provide land, animals, value addition, services and marketing support for such models. An Endowment Fund (EF) would support the network through an uninterrupted funding and recovery. We expect generation of decent employment and exportable food and biotech surpluses from successful implementation of this program.
Prof. Muhammad Subhan Qureshi