National Livestock Policy Draft
Reality of National Livestock Policy Document and Livestock Development in Pakistan
مبینہ قومی لائیوسٹاک پالیسی کے ڈاکومنٹ کی اصل حقیقت
مضامینِ نو، ڈاکٹر محمد جاسر آفتاب
لائیوسٹاک پالیسی میں الجھا ایک اور سیکرٹری ۔۔ مضامینِ نو، ڈاکٹر محمد جاسر آفتاب
A draft of the alleged National Livestock Policy is circulating on social media. This alleged draft titled Pakistan’s Livestock Policy has allegedly come out with the name of a ministry that is not directly related to the livestock sector.
The most important aspect is that this policy has not been officially released nor is it allegedly final. According to reliable sources, this is an extremely preliminary draft that somehow leaked and came to social media. It still needs to be worked on and input from various institutions should be taken. Whoever shared it with the people has shown extreme irresponsibility. If a draft comes to you for approval, it is extremely inappropriate to make it public.
National Livestock Policy or an Export-Oriented Policy
The ministry that allegedly has this draft and the content of this alleged policy indicate that it is related to the export-related recommendations of the livestock sector. That is, it is a livestock export policy or livestock trade policy or policy recommendations.
In the glossary given at the beginning of this alleged policy, while defining the word “Government”, it is written as the Government of Tanzania. Similarly, while defining Pakistan, it is written as the boundaries of the United Republic of Tanzania. This may be a mistake and possibly these two pages containing the glossary may also be copy-pasted, but looking at its content, it would not be appropriate to say that this alleged policy has been made as a result of copy-paste from an international document. I have read this document in its entirety. In the first place, this draft has been written and hard work has been done on it.
Vision and Objectives of the Alleged National Livestock Policy
The vision of this policy has been attributed to Pakistan Development Vision 2025. Its objectives include improving the production, processing and marketing of livestock products, improving livestock farmers, improving the quality of livestock products as raw materials, improving the local livestock industry for export and others.
Main Focus: Livestock Exports and Meat Production
The main focus of this draft is on the export of livestock products, including meat and various residues of livestock. Along with this, various aspects of breeding, management, feeding, farmer awareness and animal health have also been discussed to increase meat production. In this regard, various past projects and their results have also been mentioned and recommendations have also been given regarding these aspects.
Key Recommendations in the Alleged National Livestock Policy
There are issues, past initiatives and recommendations for the future regarding meat production. Special focus has been given on breed improvement. There is detailed information regarding slaughterhouses and meat processing. The potential of the livestock trade has been discussed in the context of exports. It has been proposed to open the export of live animals. There are also suggestions regarding allowing the import of animals from different countries. Recommendations have also been given to control smuggling. International marketing has been focused on trade. There is also a proposal for price de-capping. The role of research institutions and universities has also been highlighted.
Need for Wider Consultation Before Finalization
Of course, there are good recommendations and some effort must have been made on this draft, but from its content, it seems that not much consultation has been done with the relevant institutions yet and the information collected is not up-to-date. There is also mention of institutions that are not functional or semi-functional. The information given regarding these institutions is also old at first glance. Most of the suggestions given for these institutions are directly related to the provincial livestock departments or the Ministry of National Food Security and Research as a whole.
The Way Forward for Pakistan’s National Livestock Policy
It is requested that if this is a national-level livestock policy, then after the 18th Amendment, this is not a federal mandate. If any document based on national-level recommendations is to be prepared, it should be handed over to the Ministry of National Food Security and Research and worked on in consultation with the livestock departments of all the provinces.
On the other hand, if this is a policy or policy recommendations related to livestock exports or livestock trade, then this is a good move. For this, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research and the provincial livestock departments, as well as experts from relevant universities and relevant associations, should also be brought on board so that recommendations according to the facts can be made in consultation with all stakeholders.
