ISLAMABAD: Pakistan should formulate a 10-year livestock growth and export strategy with measurable production and export targets to strengthen food security, improve rural incomes and expand foreign exchange earnings, according to recommendations prepared by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.
The recommendations, available with Wealth Pakistan, call for a National Livestock Policy Framework supported by clear implementation mechanisms and stronger coordination between the public and private sectors. The proposed 10-year livestock strategy would serve as a roadmap for raising productivity, promoting commercialisation and value addition, attracting investment and improving the sector’s competitiveness in international markets.
Key challenges facing the livestock sector
The recommendations identify low productivity, fragmented and largely informal value chains, animal disease risks and inadequate traceability among the major constraints facing Pakistan’s livestock sector.
Limited value addition, regulatory bottlenecks and weak integration with international markets are also cited as factors restricting the sector’s ability to expand its economic contribution.
The proposed framework calls for measurable production and export targets so progress can be assessed against defined outcomes rather than through individual policy interventions.
Stronger coordination and investment needed
The recommendations also emphasise closer coordination between federal and provincial governments to harmonise policies, regulations and standards across the livestock sector.
Regulatory and fiscal barriers affecting investment, formalisation and exports should be reviewed to create a more enabling environment for businesses operating across the livestock value chain.
The proposed policy direction would gradually move the sector from improving basic productivity towards greater commercialisation, formalisation, value addition and export competitiveness.
Focus on farmer incomes and exports
According to the recommendations, effective implementation could improve animal productivity and farmer profitability while strengthening food safety and encouraging private investment.
The reforms could also support greater rural economic activity and expand the livestock sector’s capacity to generate foreign exchange through exports.
The documents stress that sustained policy support and institutional oversight will be necessary to translate the proposed reforms into coordinated measures and measurable outcomes for food security, farmer prosperity, investment, economic growth and livestock exports.