Milk production in Pakistan dismal: UAF

UAF Vice Chancellor says despite millions of animals, average milk production was dismal compared to similar countries

FAISALABAD:

University of Faisalabad (UAF) Vice Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said on Thursday that average milk production in Pakistan was dismally low. He was addressing the annual function of the Veterinary Sciences Faculty.

He said despite millions of animals, the average milk production in the country was dismal compared to similar countries. Khan said viral diseases significantly threatened livestock, culminating in inferior milk and meat quality.

He urged scientists to spread awareness about precautionary measures among farmers to increase productivity. Khan said concerted efforts were required to make livestock farming sustainable. He stressed the need to reduce animal mortality through provision of adequate healthcare facilities for them. He said artificial insemination and cross-breeding was urgently needed to ensure higher average milk and meat production.

Khan said even though Pakistan was one of the largest milk producing countries in the world, average milk production was the country was markedly low. He said poor sanitary conditions prevalent in dairies were also a cause for concern.

Khan said state-of-the-art farms produced 8,000 litres of milk per animal on an annual basis while the average production for sub-standard farms hovered around 3,000 litres a year. He said in the developed world, an animal producing the latter amount of milk was sent to the slaughterhouse.

Faculty of Veterinary Sciences Dean Dr Laeeq Lodhi said concerted efforts were being undertaken to introduce trained manpower in the livestock industry.

He said the varsity was running veterinary clinics, extending healthcare facilities to animals. Lodhi said the university had introduced new programmes in pharmacy and microbiology.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 27^th, 2014.