INP-WealthPk

Experts suggest modern approaches for turnaround in livestock sector

February 04, 2025

Muhammad Saleem

Pakistan can bring in much-needed foreign exchange by investing in modern facilities and latest approaches in the livestock sector. These modern approaches will also address the challenges the sector has been facing such as low productivity and inadequate veterinary services.

Talking to WealthPK, Dr. Shahid, a livestock expert, said the sector has been a source of earning for countless rural families over the years and playing a crucial role in the national economy by providing jobs for thousands and contributing to food security. “Our rural livestock sector needs modern infrastructure and technology to exploit its full potential.

Without cutting-edge technologies and modern methods, we cannot make headway to cash in on this opportunity. We need foreign exchange for our economy and jobs for our youth. The livestock sector holds great potential for addressing our current challenges. Unfortunately, our farmers are still relying on traditional animal husbandry approaches, which are holding them back in terms of productivity and profits,” he said.

Quoting examples, Dr Shahid said livestock farmers are still using outdated breeding techniques leading to lower yields. This practice is also producing less resilient animals. By introducing modern breeding techniques and improving animal nutrition, we can efficiently export mutton and bring in the much-needed foreign exchange, he added.

Dr. Khan, a veterinary specialist, told WealthPK that poor infrastructure is taking a heavy toll on animal health. Without effective health management for animals, good results in terms of production of quality milk or meat cannot be achieved,” he noted. He emphasized that health management is livestock farmers’ top priority.

Diseases like foot-and-mouth and brucellosis are quite common, affecting livestock health year after year. Owing to these diseases, farmers face financial losses from animal death and low productivity and find it hard to control them effectively because many of them lack access to the veterinary care and vaccines, he explained. He said lack of awareness among farmers about the preventive measures is also adding fuel to the fire.

This is an era of technology and collaboration, where close-knit collaboration is crucial to make headway in any field. In light of these challenges, the stakeholders, including farmers, policymakers, and researchers, need to join hands to address the persisting challenges directly. By ensuring investment and collaboration among the stakeholders, we can significantly improve productivity and strengthen Pakistan's economy.“The demand for milk is increasing, both locally and internationally, with each passing day.

We can cash in on this golden opportunity by establishing modern farms and teaching local livestock farmers how to breed animals more efficiently,” Dr. Shahid said. He also pointed out that as the demand for meat is increasing both nationally and globally, Pakistan could earn sizable foreign exchange by raising healthy animals. "Our farmers are hardworking and dedicated but they need proper training and access to modern equipment,” he added.

Credit: INP-WealthPk