Sindh budget 2012-13: no compensation package for livestock, fisheries sectors

The Sindh government has not allocated funds in the new provincial budget for paying compensation to thousands of flood victims associated with livestock, fisheries and poultry sectors despite a forecast of heavy rains during this monsoon season, Business Recorder learnt here on Thursday. The provincial government tabled the budget for fiscal 2012-13 with an ADP of Rs 231 billion a few days ago. The budget has recently been approved unanimously.
Sources familiar with the budget-making exercise said that top Sindh government functionaries had been directed by President Asif Ali Zardari for a compensation package for flood victims. However, livestock and fisheries department overlooked this directive and the package for livestock and fisheries sectors was not part of the new budget, they said. According to sources, flood victims incurred losses of about Rs 1.4 billion on account of destruction of livestock after heavy rains in 2011.
More than 100,000 cattle heads, including goats, buffalos, cows, sheep and horses, reportedly died or were washed away, they said. People in 17 of 23 Sindh districts suffered losses of about Rs 1.3 billion on account of destruction of fisheries and poultry sectors, they added.
Sources said that as many as 368 private fish farms had been damaged which were established on 16,352 acres in various areas of the province. Besides, people also suffered losses of about Rs 550 million on the account of destruction of poultry farms, sources said. More than 900 private poultry farms had been damaged and over 2.5 million birds had been killed or were washed away, they added.
People related with these sectors told Business Recorder that livestock accounted for nearly 55.1 percent of value-added agriculture and 11.5 percent to GDP during 2010-11. They said that the livestock sector's role in development of rural economic may well be recognised from the fact that more than 60 percent rural population was dependent on livestock and poultry sectors.
Poultry sector provided employment to about 2 million people. Its contribution in agriculture value-addition was 4.8 percent and livestock value addition is 9.8 percent, they added. Secretary Livestock and Fisheries Abdul Ghani Jokhio told Business Recorder that there was no need for a compensation package for livestock, poultry and fisheries sectors. He said that the department had evolved a comprehensive flood emergency plan to save valuable livestock.