The floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains have played havoc with livestock as thousands of animals have been swept away with the flood waters, Business Recorder has learnt. Officials in the Ministry for Livestock and Dairy Development informed BR that the floods have caused loss of thousands of animals in rural parts of the country where people largely depend on livestock and farming.
They added that at present over 0.3 million acres of land, utilised for cultivation of fodder for animals, is under rain water and there is danger that thousands of animals would perish due to nonavailability of fodder. According to the officials, as per rough estimates, about 50,000 to 55,000 cattle including buffalos, cows, oxen, sheep, goats and camels have been swept away.
Around 25 percent of the livestock in Punjab and Sindh has been destroyed by floods and, as a result, the leather industry of the country would also suffer 25 percent decline, which would deprive Pakistan of valuable foreign exchange, officials added.
Ibrahim Mughal, Chairman of AgriForum Pakistan, when contacted, said that according to their estimate more than 70,000 animals are missing in Punjab and KP. He added that up till now around 25,000 cattle were killed in different parts of the country and the number could rise as there is shortage of fodder.
He said that in the coming days Pakistan may face shortage of meat, mutton, milk and other dairy products owing to the loss of livestock. There is no fodder and shelter for millions of animals. Besides, their natural grazing fields have been inundated by flood waters, he added. He predicted that the price of animals on the occasion of upcoming Eid al-Azha would significantly increase.
Officials expressed fear that due to the worst ever floods in the history of Pakistan the government may face shortage of animal vaccines and they may become easy victim to different water borne diseases. Sources added that more than six fatal animal diseases ie Haemorrhagic septicaemia, Food & Mouth, Black Quarter, Enterotoxaemia (in sheep and goats), Contagion Caprime Plenro-pneumonia (animals) and New Castle disease (in poultry) broke out due to floods in the nine districts ie Bhakkar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Sargodha, Khushab, Mianwali, Layyah, Rajanpur and Rahim Yar Khan.
Sources in Punjab Livestock Department said that DG Khan, Khushab and Layyah districts were facing acute shortage of Enterotoxaemia (ETV) and Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS) vaccines. They said that total population of goats and sheep in DG Khan was over 2 million while available vaccine in the area was 3000 ETVs. Likewise, Layyah and Khushab are also demanding more vaccines.