Dairy sector struggles despite global ranking: moot

LAHORE:Despite being the fourth largest milk producer in the world and a major contributorto value-added agriculture, the country’s dairy sector faces persistent challenges that hinder its optimal potential, said speakers here on Tuesday.

With a population of about 240 million people to meet their protein and dairy needs, the dairy and beef sector is largely underperforming, which requires huge efforts to improve it. There is a need to transform this important sector through precision farming. The contribution of livestock has been over 60 percent of value-added agriculture and 11.7 percent of the total GDP is still far less than its immense potential. Pakistan, Dutch and Australian partners are poised to foster partnerships to introduce superior livestock and nutrition solutions in collaboration with private and public sectors, said experts and professionals while speaking at an event that marked the partnership between a startup Cloud Agri Pakistan, with NASNA, one of the leading players in animal trade, and Denkavit Nederland, the Dutch leader in feed for young animals.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Henny Fokel de Vries, Dutch Ambassador to Pakistan, hoped that the partnership between Dutch and Pakistani company Cloud Agri will lead to developing the Pakistani livestock sector on modern lines. She said over 50 Dutch companies are operating in Pakistan, including in the Dairy and Agriculture sectors.

She assured her full support for Pakistani and Dutch companies operating in the Dairy Sector. She said Pakistan and the Netherlands have been engaged in what she calls historic cooperation in the dairy and livestock sector.

Dr Rana Shaukat Hussain of Cloud Agri Pakistan said by joining hands with Dutch and Australian partners, we are not only facilitating the introduction of superior livestock and nutrition solutions but also fostering a platform for knowledge exchange and the implementation of international best practices to Pakistan dairy and beef farmers. The collaboration is poised to bring unprecedented benefits to the domestic dairy and beef sector. By supplying superior cattle breeds from Australia and introducing advanced calf nutrition solutions, the partnership aims to elevate Pakistan's dairy and livestock sectors to global standards going forward. This strategic alignment is set to empower local farmers and stakeholders with the tools and knowledge necessary to enhance production, improve animal health, and drive overall industry advancement.

As part of this partnership, a comprehensive knowledge-sharing framework will be established to equip farmers with the skills and insights needed to adopt modern farming and livestock management techniques to cater the increasing demand for dairy and protein needs and to meet the food security challenges as well as to uplift the quality of produce to meet the international standards for export.

To improve the genetics of local cattle breeds and increase milk production, the government of Punjab is implementing various policy interventions in dairy and beef breeding. These interventions include the provision of AI services, breeding programs, capacity building, financial support, and the development of breeding policies, as well as creating opportunities for beef export by creating FMD-free compartments.

With an extensive population of around 30 million cows and same number of buffaloes, along with over 100 million sheep and goats, these animals collectively yield over 60 million tonnes of milk annually, underscoring the sector's critical role in meeting domestic nutritional needs and supporting livelihoods.

DG Research, Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development Department Dr Sajjad Hussain Sanghi said that the livestock sector in the country has historically been dominated by small-scale producers, with traditional methods prevailing across the country. However, with the advent of modern technologies and increased awareness, the industry is transforming. The government department on an ad-hoc basis working seamlessly to develop FMD-freepro grammes as well as facilitating the global companies for Private Public Partnerships to welcome advanced vaccine technologies in the country. Smallholder farmers are gradually adopting innovative practices such as improved breeding techniques, better feed management, and advanced healthcare for livestock. Inefficiencies in the production process, coupled with a lack of awareness among farmers regarding modern techniques for enhancing milk and meat output, pose significant challenges.