NDMA issues the details of Livestock Losses in Flood in Pakistan
More than seven lakh cattle have died due to floods and rains across the country so far and this number is increasing rapidly. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), according to the data received from the district administrations across the country from June 14 to August 29, 735,375 cattle have died so far.
More than 5 lakh cattle have died in Balochistan, more than 16 thousand in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, more than 2 lakh cattle in Punjab and more than 15 thousand cattle in Sindh.
Spokesperson of the Punjab Livestock Department Dr. Asif Rafique said that the highest number of cattle has died in Rajanpur in Punjab with 2 lakh 667 cattle, 1 thousand 784 in Dera Ghazi Khan, 331 in Mianwali and 5 cattle have been reported to have died in Layyah.
اکنامک سروے: سیلاب میں ساڑھے گیارہ لاکھ سے زائد جانور ہلاک ہوئے، سب سے زیادہ نقصان بلوچستان میں ہوا
He said that with the help of relief agencies, 7 thousand 759 animals have been rescued from the flood-affected areas so far. Around 250 animals are with families living in different tents. Similarly, more than 187,000 small and large livestock have been vaccinated.
According to livestock officials, foot-and-mouth disease can spread among livestock in flood-affected areas, however, livestock staff are present in the affected areas with mobile dispensaries in this regard.
According to the Economic Survey of the financial year 2021-22, the livestock sector accounts for 61 percent of Pakistan’s agricultural value-added products, while livestock’s share in Pakistan’s overall GDP is 14 percent. 8 million families of the rural population of Pakistan rear livestock. 35 to 40 percent of their income comes from income earned from livestock.
Although the livestock sector improved by three percent during the last financial year, and steps were also being taken by the provincial governments to promote this sector.
Progressive farmer Amirhayat Bhandara told The Express Tribune that the death toll from floods and rains could be much higher than the figures released by government agencies because many cases of livestock deaths and being swept away in floodwaters go unreported.
He said that the death of livestock and destruction of crops will further worsen the economic condition of families whose livelihoods depend solely on the income generated from cattle milk and meat, and it will also hit the country’s economy.
He said that there has been a shortage of meat, milk, yogurt and milk products across the country. He has appealed to aid agencies to arrange fodder for cattle while providing rations for human food.
According to the Dairy and Cattle Farmers Association, there are more than eight crore cows and buffaloes in Pakistan, worth more than Rs 16,000 billion, and they are the most valuable assets of the country. They provide 130 million liters of milk to Pakistan daily, worth 13 billion per day and 4745 billion per year. 70 percent of the total livestock is from Punjab and 85 percent of the livestock keepers are small farmers who have two to 10 cattle.
