Development in livestock sector
Development in livestock sector
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The Sprawling landmass of Balochistan and various pastures are suitable for development of livestock sector in the province thus Balochistan could export organic meat worldwide. 

The Sprawling landmass of Balochistan and various pastures are suitable for development of livestock sector in the province thus Balochistan could export organic meat worldwide. Chief Secretary Balochistan Captain (Retired) Fazeel Asghar on Tuesday said the provincial government is utilizing all available resources for the development of livestock sector. Because there is a bright expectation’s for the development of livestock in Balochistan. He said that the livestock sector is the backbone of the province and its development will have a very positive impact on the economy. Chief Secretary added that Expo 2019 in Balochistan is an important step towards the development of livestock which will have far-reaching results. It may be mentioned that, the provincial government is organizing a Livestock Expo for the first time in Balochistan this month, inviting various foreign companies to participate. The Expo will also host a special awareness campaign on the breeding of a variety of animals, kinds and everyday needs.

Balochistan is rich in livestock resources contributing about 40 per cent of Pakistan’s total agricultural population.  More than 80 per cent of Baloch population is engaged in agriculture, livestock, mines and minerals and Fisheries. The livestock sector is also a vital component of Pakistan’s economy as it provides the raw materials to downstream industries and helps alleviate poverty. In Pakistan, nearly 70 percent of the masses are engaged in agriculture practices, contributing 19.8 percent to GDP. Agriculture, moreover, remains by far the largest employer absorbing 42.3 percent of the country’s total labour force.  The main consumers of Balochistan livestock include leather, carpet and pharmaceutical industries. The province caters to the needs and demands of leather and carpet industries by sustaining the supply of Hyde and wool to these sectors in the province. Balochistan can be food and fruit basket of the entire region if its livestock is development on modern lines. There is much greater scope for development of livestock sector meeting the protein need of the entire nation. The most important aspect for the development of livestock and utilizing its full potential is the development of its marketing system. Livestock is an important sector of rural economy contributing about 40 percent to the provincial GDP. However, there is a lot of issues related to livestock development include poor infrastructure, inadequate range management, subsistence policy, lack of awareness among local farmers, inadequate technology transfer, non-availability of proper veterinary service network, feed manufacturing and absence of disaster warning systems.

Balochistan’s Local farmers even have no idea or familiarity with modern animal husbandry practices. There is no organized cattle farming activity, hence the province suffers low productivity due to poor breeding and rearing and low energy inputs. The local farmers use unhygienic and polluted water for drinking of animals. They lack the proper health care coverage for the animals, poor marketing system and extension services. The small-scale producers have no vertical linkages with processors and marketers. They are also deficient in technical know-how to increase meat production. Without providing the essential nourishment to animals, we cannot increase hereditary potential. We need to develop a national policy that stipulates decide how much nutrients animals need to utilize their maximum genetic potential. Poverty alleviation strategy through livestock development can be productive in the province. Serious efforts on provincial government level should be made to increasing productivity, improving feed and fodder availability, improving coverage of animal health care, provision of extension services, and improvement of marketing systems and intensification of relation with private sector. The both federal and provincial government should implement vital reforms in livestock sector for its improvement and enhancement of production. Livestock sector is the single most important sector, which can make an impact at the grassroots level in alleviating the poverty in Balochistan. There are sheep and goat in every household, people are born herders and depend on flocks for their livelihood. Policies may be formulated keeping in mind the traditions, cultural requirements, desires and needs of the people in Balochistan.