LAHORE: Dairy sector stakeholders have stressed the need for genetically improving potential of local breeds (Neeli Ravi, Sahiwal and Cholistani) to increase milk production in Pakistan.
‘We need to work on genetically improving our cows through selection on pedigree-based and then verifying it through Progeny Testing, Embryo Transfer/Cloning & Genetic Engineering of high pedigree Sahiwal cows by using other low yielding milk breeds like Tharri, Dhanni, Dajal, Cholistani breeds etc as surrogate mothers’, said the participants of a discussion.
Pakistan is ranked as the 4th largest milk producing country. According to PIDE, 80% of the total milk is produced on a small scale in rural areas, 15% by peri-urban and 5% in the urban areas. Average annual milk production increased from 12 million tonnes (1985-86) to 48 million tonnes in 2018-19, a quadrupling in three decades. Milk composition has also changed between 1985-86 with a marginal increase in cow milk and reduction in buffalo milk (67% buffalo, 31% cow and 2% goat, sheep and camel in 1985).
The discussion was arranged by the Agriculture Republic and was moderated by Aamer Hayat Bhandara and Fouad Bajwa. A large number of dairy sector experts including Hamid Malik, Masood Jamal Sussal, Dilawar Rath, Adnan Chattha, Naeem Abid, Dr Farhat Hanjra and others shared their views.
The participants suggested promoting local breeds, which according to them are compatible with our hot environment and have fewer diseases issues, with high milk potential for small farmers through providing them semen of high producing animals. Ensuring the availability of machinery & assistance for fodder storage (silage) to small farmers. Introducing modern farming techniques to small farmers. Making available good quality fodder seeds for summer and winter both and extending assistance to small farmers by which they could sell their milk to end consumers by themselves.
Setting up of small farmers associations/cooperatives of local area could be very helpful in this matter, who should be helped to purchase chillers and establish milk outlets, the participants said. Free vaccination of animals to establish the disease-free region and ensuring the availability of medical & consultancy service to each small farmer.
Hamid Malik, an agriculture sector expert said milk is the basic food source for protein for Pakistanis. Pakistan’s livestock & especially Dairy sector is facing both head & tailwinds. When we say headwinds, it is low genetics & tailwind is supply chain distortions.
Naeem Abid an overseas Pakistani dairy specialist said Pakistan is among the leading raw milk-producing countries. The production system in Pakistan has three different categories: subsistence or market-oriented system, peri-urban system, and commercial system. Current dairying in Pakistan is a combination of both traditional and commercial methods of raising dairy animals and producing milk and milk products. During the last two decades, commercial farming with imported dairy inputs has increased and reached roughly about 1% of the total raw milk production.
Dr Farhat Hanjra said 95% of livestock farmers in Pakistan are small dairy farmers. He said it is essential to resolve their issues uplift the production of milk.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021