Business

Milk: Post-production losses cost Pakistan Rs169 billion

Lack of infrastructure such as cooling facilities at farms and transportation is prime cause for losses

August 05, 2012

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan has faced an annual loss of Rs169 billion due to post-production losses of milk despite being ranked among the five largest milk producing countries of the world, said an official.

The official said that the lack of infrastructure such as cooling facilities at farms and transportation is the prime cause for the post-production losses, which is being addressed through various development projects.

However, Pakistan Dairy Development Company has made some significant contribution for improving the dairy sector. The provinces also need to take up the responsibility for developing the dairy sector and devise sustainable strategy for cool chain development to minimise losses.

For the year 2011-12, the performance of livestock sector remained satisfactory. The production of meat stood at 3.232 million tons exceeding its target for the year of 3.056 million tons. The milk production in fiscal 2012 was 38.690 million tons, below its target of 45.883 million tons.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2012.

COMMENTS (5)

Feisal Rahimtoola | 12 years ago | Reply

@yousaf: @Ahmed: I think Mr. yousuf has a point. I believe values of the breeder and politics within the industry more directly impact utilization and wastage than lack of government support or skills. Wastage and lack of synchronization are symptoms and not issues in themselves. And education or government alone can not bring efficiency. Perhaps Kruggman said: Give the Sahara to government officials and in five years there will be shortage of sand there.

yousaf | 12 years ago | Reply @::Both p r sharma and Feisal Rahimtoola have pointed out rational points.I will like to add that if the concerned official also tells about the pre-production losses we 'commit' by slaughtering young potential milk-giving cows and buffaloes for meat and their number goes into thousands per day.I do not agree with the statement that any thing is being done on government level except providing some jobs to the favoured individuals.To prove my point I am witness to dairy development project Bahadar Nagar near Sahiwal and have personal experience about Rakh Bhuneke,katta paal scheme near Pattoki.What a healthy staff and how pathetic condition of ANIMALS can be witnessed if anyone cares to pay a visit there.It is a long and neglectful history on the part of those responsible for developing dairy farming in Pakistan.Call me pessimist but I see a horrible future for milk and meat production,as there is no future planning at any level for this sector.Where packaging is expensive than the product,what future for that product?

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Ahmed | 12 years ago | Reply

It is mostly due to lack of planning on dairy farmers side they dont invest on skill building and resource management

Feisal Rahimtoola | 12 years ago | Reply

This figure suggests daily losses are in vicinity of Rs half billion, which at present retail price equals 650 tons daily. Is that all? Secondly, what is comparable production loss at centers with technology, weather, infrastructure, economic development and interest rate comparable to Pakistan?

p r sharma | 12 years ago | Reply

Electricity is vital for dairy products ( even if manufactures) cooling for better self life , Development of any country/economy depends on key industries and sufficient power, Power shortage for industries will adversely affect the economic growth. The regime has to fix the national priorities and endeavor to achieve it.

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