Farm Officer of the UVAS Department of Poultry Production, Jibran Hussain, said that UVAS, in collaboration with Small And Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA), is also starting a training programme for the quail farmers, according to Business Recorder. The purpose of the programme is to introduce quail farming as a source of income and means of alleviating poverty by creating employment opportunities especially in the rural areas. Another purpose of the training programme is to identify major issues and problems in promoting quail farming as a profitable enterprise which will be helpful in generating employment.

Mr Hussain said that the processing plant has the storage capacity of five tonnes of meat for six months to one year while the plant has the capacity of slaughtering 1,100 birds per hour. Jumbo Quail Farm of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) is producing 1,600kg of quail birds per month, sold to the leading stores of Lahore. The capacity of the farm, per month, is 20,000 birds as every week, batch of 5,000 birds are readied for sale. They are selling meat of quail at PKR400 per kilo to the stores. He said that in the winter season, demand of quail is higher as compared to summer. With the help of research, we have reduced the mortality rate in winter but in summer, it is higher, he added.

Quails produced in the farm are organic and are raised without the use of vaccines, medicines, chemicals and hormones, fulfilling international standard of hygiene and biosecurity at the same time, he elaborated.

On the nutritional value of quail meat, the chairman of the Department of Poultry Production said it is unique in taste, high in protein with essential amino acids, low fat and low cholesterol and high in vitamins and minerals.

Business Recorder reports Mr Hussain saying that the department was established in June 2004 with the main objectives of education and training of students to cater to the needs of the sector through enhancing egg and meat production in the country. Furthermore, the department conducts problem-oriented applied research for the purpose of solving problems of the stakeholders.

The department also has close liaison with Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) and leading poultry farmers, breeders, poultry feed millers and hatchery men, formulated poultry working group in order to discuss problems faced by poultry industry, and devised viable strategies, he concluded.