Toxic fodder causes livestock losses

Unregistered chemical factories manufacturing cattle feed are the main obstacle in the way of the Punjab government's plan to impose a livestock emergency to increase production of meat and milk in the province. In the districts with sugar mills, the use of chemical effluents from those mills as cattle fodder has increased. This practice is a clear violation of the Punjab Animal Feed Stuff and Compound Feed Act 2016.

A few years ago, waste used to be given to the farmers free of cost to increase the fertility of the land.

According to details, more than half-a-dozen of chemicals are used during the process of extracting sugar from cane. Different chemicals are used to kill bacteria and germs. The cases of toxic food poisoning in animals from eating waste that contained chemical residues have increased to an alarming level. Eventually, people are taken ill after consuming the meat and milk of such animals.

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Punjab government has decided to impose a livestock emergency in the province to increase production of milk and meat and their export. However, the goal cannot be achieved without maintaining the standard of feed for the cattle.

Cattle farmers have demanded of the caretaker chief minister of Punjab and provincial ministers concerned to place a ban on the use of waste containing toxic chemicals as cattle fodder to protect lives of humans and animals.

Cattle farmers Zia-ul-Haq and Liaqat Ali alleged that factories producing silage across the province were using chemicals in flagrant violation of the Punjab Animal Feed Stuff and Compound Feed Act 2016.

By this method, milk and meat production increased temporarily. However, consumption of milk and meat of these animals had profound effects on the health of people, especially those of children.

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Leaders of the Livestock, Dairy and Breeding Association, Rana Ameer Mohammad and Sardar Yaqoob, had demanded of the government to mobilise the laboratories of the Livestock Department to prevent the use of waste containing chemicals.

In November last year, the Punjab livestock department had arranged a training workshop in Multan to sensitise livestock breeders on fog fever.

The workshop, led by Livestock Deputy Director Dr. Jamshed Akhtar, aimed to equip cattle breeders with vital knowledge on preventive measures, emphasising the critical importance of protecting their animals from the potentially fatal illness, which was prevalent during the winter months.

with additional input from app

Published in The Express Tribune, January 4^th, 2024.