The dairy sector of Pakistan carries immense potential to become a major source of income through enhanced exports. The objective can better be achieved through embracing modern technology and fostering collaborations across the sector. Talking to WealthPK, Dr Ahmed, a faculty member of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, said amid rising demand for milk and its products both the national and multinational companies were amassing wealth by taking advantage of shortages. He said local milk producers were not in a position to meet the demand, prompting companies to cash in on the situation. He said the dairy sector of Pakistan had a lot of potential to earn handsome amounts through exports. “But we have to improve the current infrastructure to meet the international standards,” he added. “We have to find ways to introduce advancements in breeding and genetics to improve the health of milk-giving animals. In Pakistan, most of the livestock farmers are relying on buffalo milk as they seem least interested in the promotion of cow milk,” he said.

Ahmed said artificial insemination and the use of the latest gadgets could significantly help improve the livestock sector. “Pakistan has to introduce high-yielding cow breeds to meet the growing milk demand.” “We have to adopt the latest methods to improve the resistance of animals against diseases. This approach will ultimately alleviate the financial burden on livestock farmers and improve their profitability,” he said. He said farmers lacked the capacity to conduct genomic profiling of animals to help identify animals with superior milk production traits. He pointed out that smart milking machines could help get real-time information on animal health and milk production data. He said by adopting automated solutions, farmers could significantly control fodder waste and enhance their efficiency. Ali Hassan, a dairy farmer, said they were still unknown to modern methods for animal care and milking. “Even cattle pens are now cleaned using modern gadgets, which is still a far cry for farmers in Pakistan.”

Ali said improvement in the breeding area would create a big difference on farms. He said it was the duty of the government officials to train farmers in that regard. “Only some modern farms use advanced tools for milking animals and monitoring their health. Most livestock farmers still employ decades-old methods for milking and supervising animal health.” Nabeel Ahmed, owner of a milk shop, recalled the time when shopkeepers used traditional utensils to preserve milk and its products. However, he admitted that the introduction of modern machines had made their lives easy, extending the shelf life of milk, yogurt and other products. He said he wanted to procure modern gadgets, but affordability was a major issue. “All advanced level machines come with a heavy price tag. Only government subsidies can ensure innovations in the dairy sector.”

Credit: Independent News Pakistan