Pakistan should develop over 10,000 dairy farms, sheep farms besides importing over 0.1 million animals from India to meet 25 to 30 percent deficiency of livestock in the country as with an overall 0.5 percent shortage of dairy products, Pakistan currently faces 25 to 30 percent deficiency of mutton.

Livestock division officials told Business Recorder the current mutton shortage was caused by the long spell of drought during 1999 to 2004 in Cholistan, Thal (Punjab), NWFP and Balochistan. Quoting a UN survey report, the officials said 1999-2004 drought spell affected almost 70 to 80 percent livestock in the country.

The officials said mutton export from Pakistan did not cause the shortage as the annual mutton export was very insignificant, around 0.5 percent of the total production.

In order to meet the increasing demand of meat, livestock sector needs to grow by five percent each year against the current growth of just 2.5 percent per annum, the officials observed.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2005