Modern goat farming boosts rural incomes

Modern goat-rearing practices can increase farmers' incomes by 20% to 50% compared with traditional methods and help alleviate poverty in rural areas, Additional Director Livestock Dr Naila Maqsood said on Wednesday.

She said Sargodha was a major livestock-producing region but many goat farmers lacked awareness of scientific rearing techniques.

She said breeds including Makhi Cheeni, Nugri, Nagri and Faisalabadi Beetal were popular in the region and could provide substantial returns if managed properly.

Goats, she added, were often called the "cows of the poor" because they required relatively limited resources and could easily be reared by rural families, including women.

Dr Naila said goats were also an important source of meat and milk and could help improve protein availability. She noted that goats can produce offspring twice a year, often giving birth to twins or triplets.

More than 2.5 million goats are reared across Sargodha division, making them an important source of income for rural households, she said.

However, she stressed the need for proper record-keeping, nutrition, fodder management, housing, ventilation and disease prevention. Farmers should maintain records of rearing costs and income to determine the actual profitability of goat farming.

She recommended providing each goat with at least six to 10 square feet of space in covered sheds, with greater space required in open pens. Farmers should ensure dry floors, adequate ventilation and natural light while preventing rainwater from entering animal shelters.

Dr Naila advised farmers to use nutritious fodder, including silage, hay and wanda during shortages, and said leaves of keekar trees could also supplement feed.

She urged the government to allocate suitable land for livestock grazing and called on investors to explore goat farming and meat exports, given strong demand for goat meat.