Gross Value Addition Of Livestock Increased By 3%, Reached To Rs1, 505 Billion

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Jun, 2021 ) :Gross value addition of livestock increased by 3.0 and reached to Rs1,505 billion (2020-21) from Rs 1,461 billion (2019-20), an increase of 3.0 percent.

Over the years livestock has emerged as the largest sub sector in agriculture. The sector contributed 60.1 percent to the agriculture value addition and 11.5 percent to the GDP during FY2021, according the Economic Survey of Pakistan launched here Thursday.

More than 8 million rural families are engaged in livestock production and deriving more than 35-40 percent of their income from this source.

The government has renewed its focus on the livestock sector for economic growth, food security, and poverty alleviation in the country. The overall livestock development strategy resolves to foster "private sector-led development with public sector providing enabling environment through policy interventions".

The regulatory measures are aimed at improving per unit animal productivity by improving health coverage, management practices, animal breeding practices, artificial insemination services, use of balanced ration for animal feeding, and controlling livestock diseases.

To address investment related issue in the value added livestock export sector, government is considering to develop meat export processing zones, (for Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD), Peste des Petitis Ruminants (PPR), Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), facilitate setting up of modern slaughterhouses and introduce various schemes to facilitate access to finances.

The focus is on breed improvement for enhanced productivity, establishment of nucleus herd and identification of breeds that are well adapted to various agriculture climatic zones of Pakistan.