By Syed Fazl-e-Haider
BALOCHISTAN is striving to enhance its dairy production and to move from subsistence to market-oriented dairy farming with its main focus on milk sector. It plans to tap its enormous potential in milk sector both for domestic consumption and export to foreign markets.
The province has 15 major dairy and cattle farms and three sheep and goat farms. Livestock contributes Rs20 billion in terms of production of meat, milk, eggs, skin, hides and wool and provide livelihood to over 70 per cent of population.. Milk contributes 35 per cent of the total earning from livestock. As per 2006 livestock census, the province maintains 2.25 million of cattle, 12.8 million of sheep, 11.78 million of goats and 0.319 million of buffaloes.
“We have selected five districts including Jaffarabad, Naseerabad, Lasbella, Pishin and Kuchlak (Quetta) for milk collection”, said Zafarullah Baloch, secretary livestock, Balochistan. He said work for dairy development had already started in Pishin and Kuchlak. “We have at least 25,000 Friesian cows in Pishin only”, he added
Mr Baloch told this scribe that the ongoing white revolution project includes milk collection from small and landless farmers, support to market-oriented rural dairy farmers and production of quality breeding animals. The livestock department is taking steps for setting up milk collection plants on modern lines and also introducing proper milk preservation techniques. “We are scrutinising different areas of dairy farming and encouraging local farmers to keep breeds of cattle with high milk production”.
Presently, two projects for construction of research centre for dairy development farms each in Awaran and Bela districts are under way at an estimated cost of over Rs41 million and Rs49 million, respectively. These projects include the construction of office blocks, sheds and pens and purchase of livestock, dairy equipment and medicine. The proposed projects for the current fiscal year include establishment of dairy farms at Killa Saifullah and Dalbandin at an estimated cost of Rs80 million and strengthening of government dairy farm in Quetta at an estimated cost of Rs25 million.
Quetta dairy farm has 176 animals of two breed- Frisians and Achi. The farm has 87 Frisians, which is a foreign breed and it produces 1400kg of milk per day. Achi breed is a local breed, which is particularly used for meat purpose, as it produces less milk. Frisian hardly survives in summer; hence it is kept under special sheds during summer. For non-availability of green fodder in Quetta during winter, the fodder for animals is brought from central Balochistan. Presently, Hilal feed, containing food supplements and concentrates, is being used to increase milk production in these dairy farms.
The local experts are of the view that proper milk let-down is only possible through milking machines, as hand-milking by dairy farmers is also causing different diseases in the animals. Generally, mastitis is caused by hand-milking. “Mastitis is the inflammation of animal’s udder, which is caused by infected hands of the dairy farmers”, said Syed Khurram Farid, a researcher in the Centre for Advanced Studies in Vaccinology & Biotechnology (CASVAB) in Quetta. The animals are kept under unhygienic conditions and the rough surface cause hooves’ injury in cattle and buffaloes. Mr Farid said other diseases which were caused by mismanagement in dairy farms .
The experts stress the need for establishing milk pasteurisation plants in various districts of the province. There is an urgent need to improve extension services to increase dairy production in the province. The local dairy farmers should be provided overall technical support including automated milking machines and herd management. They should also be given feeding recipes for the animals in different seasons.
Local dairy farmers: Small dairy farmers in Balochistan generally keep animals as a part of tradition for meeting household milk needs. They consider dairy a side income, as commercial dairy farming is non-existent in the province. The animals are not properly fed, as majority of the households keeping the livestock are landless. They sell only morning milk.
The milk marketing channels are not organised on modern lines. The marketing is done through middleman, as the average milk sold per household is less than five litres a day. The farmers have a fragmented distribution system in which majority of dairying households maintain herds of one to two animals, while others maintain herds of three -- four animals. There is a need to strengthen livestock markets in the province.
Local farmers lack knowledge on animal husbandry and are unaware of modern techniques of dairy farming. Low fodder and water availability in summer causes seasonality in milk supply. Presently, the local farmers do not follow breeding through artificial insemination due to low conception rate and non-accessibility. Except the public sector organisation, the veterinary service delivery network is not available in the province, and hence the coverage is meager.
Suggestions: A strategy needs to be formulated to improve milk collection network, increase the number of available cows, buffaloes, sheep and goats and modernise milk processing and marketing.
Dairy farmers’ associations should be formed to provide subsidised veterinary/breading cover and balanced feed and assistance for fodder production and its storage, and marketing of milk and animals.
Local farmers should be provided short-term training on different aspects of dairy farming. Modern techniques of milk preservation should be adopted and more chilling units for collection of milk from rural areas should be set up..
Enabling environment should be provided to harvest the benefits of corporate livestock farming.
http://www.dawn.com/2008/04/07/ebr5.htm |
