Milk: Post-production losses cost Pakistan Rs169 billion

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

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.