Constraints in Livestock Sector in Pakistan
Constraints in livestock sector in Pakistan
LIVESTOCK IS an important sector in agriculture. It represents 52.2 per cent of agricultural value added and contributes 11 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Some 30-35 million rural people depend directly or indirectly on livestock f or their livelihood. It has potential to absorb more rural labour to reduce rural poverty if proper attention is given to this sector. Pakistan is proud to be the f if th largest milk producer in the world. In addition to f ood products, livestock sector also provides f ood, milk, meat, eggs, manure (used as f uel or f ertilizer), f eathers, f ibre, hides, and horns. In today’s world, their role in f ood security cannot be overstated. In order to achieve sustainable development of agriculture, it is important f or the Government to give more attention to livestock and dairy sector. Realizing its signif icance to poverty alleviation, the government has started giving some attention to this sector but no big national or international investment have been seen in dairy, beef , mutton or carpet wool production sub-sectors of livestock. It is pre-requisite to the sustainable economy of the country to increase the animal production. Most of the livestock production system is still orthodox and rural subsistence oriented. Some investment in this sector is appreciable but still there is a lot which needs to be done. T here are many issues in the animal production which should be addressed properly. Constraints and problems to increase livestock or animal production are almost similar in Asian countries. T he most substantial constraints in Pakistan are nutrition, animal health, animal productivity/genetic make-up of the animals, the provision of f inance to livestock f armers, livestock extension and marketing. T hese f actors are brief ly discussed below.
Nutrition: Adequate nutrition is a major problem in livestock production in Pakistan. Without providing the required nutrition f
LIVESTOCK IS an important sector in agriculture. It represents 52.2 per cent of agricultural value added and contributes 11 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Some 30-35 million rural people depend directly or indirectly on livestock f or their livelihood. It has potential to absorb more rural labour to reduce rural poverty if proper attention is given to this sector. Pakistan is proud to be the f if th largest milk producer in the world. In addition to f ood products, livestock sector also provides f ood, milk, meat, eggs, manure (used as f uel or f ertilizer), f eathers, f ibre, hides, and horns. In today’s world, their role in f ood security cannot be overstated. In order to achieve sustainable development of agriculture, it is important f or the Government to give more attention to livestock and dairy sector. Realizing its signif icance to poverty alleviation, the government has started giving some attention to this sector but no big national or international investment have been seen in dairy, beef , mutton or carpet wool production sub-sectors of livestock. It is pre-requisite to the sustainable economy of the country to increase the animal production. Most of the livestock production system is still orthodox and rural subsistence oriented. Some investment in this sector is appreciable but still there is a lot which needs to be done. T here are many issues in the animal production which should be addressed properly. Constraints and problems to increase livestock or animal production are almost similar in Asian countries. T he most substantial constraints in Pakistan are nutrition, animal health, animal productivity/genetic make-up of the animals, the provision of f inance to livestock f armers, livestock extension and marketing. T hese f actors are brief ly discussed below.
Nutrition: Adequate nutrition is a major problem in livestock production in Pakistan. Without providing the required nutrition f