Flood Kills 150,000 Cattle
PAKISTAN - More than 150,000 cattle have died in Pakistan as a result of the recent flooding, which, just 12 months after the last massive flooding in the country, has washed away fodder resources and helped spread water-borne and other infectious diseases among the animals that survived the floods in the area of Sindh.
3 October 2011
1 minute read
Lives of hundreds of thousands of other animals including poultry remain at risk in rain-affected areas as water borne diseases have also emerged. They are at risk of dying of hunger as most of the fodder has been washed away, reports The News.
Fish farms have also suffered losses of millions of rupees, people of affected areas said. Rains hit 21 districts of Sindh, the nine most disturbed being Badin, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Matiari, Umerkot, Sanghar and Benazirabad.
The livestock sector has emerged as a priority sector only recently. In the rural areas, livestock is considered a secure source of income for small farmers and the landless.
The last Economic Survey of Pakistan said livestock was the best way for poverty alleviation. It accounted for 55.1 per cent of the agriculture value added and 11.5 per cent of GDP in 2010-11.
The emphasis will be on improving animal productivity and moving from subsistence to commercial farming to meet the domestic demand, with the potential to support any excess.
The objective is to exploit the potential of the livestock sector and use it as engine for economic growth and to ensure food security.
TheCattleSite News Desk
