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Dairy farming offers 25% return
By Ehtesham Mufti
 KARACHI,
July 09, 2011: Dairy farming offers a lucrative opportunity
for investment to corporate and trading companies as the
sector can provide a return of more than 25 per cent, an
official of Pakistan Dairy Development Company (PDDC) said.
Talking to The Express Tribune during a visit to a model
dairy farm, PDDC Sindh Chapter chief Dr Aziz Ahmed said with
significant investment, the dairy farming industry can be
developed to such an extent that it could compete
effectively with major exporters – Australia, New Zealand
and Holland – in the international market.
However, he said investors and industrialists were not aware
of the potential of dairy farming and its significance in
national economy, providing an opportunity to few companies
which had established their monopoly in the business,
including milk processing.
If the government provided funds to PDDC for keeping
milk-producing animals and milk processing, the company
would be able to identify potential industrialists who would
be able to process and pack milk according to international
health standards and sell at attractive prices, he said.
According to Ahmed, around 800,000 milk-producing animals
are being taken care of in Karachi and in its outskirts, but
due to lack of knowledge the dairy farmers are getting milk
through traditional and outdated methods, which gave a lower
output.
“Owing to lack of awareness, the farmers are wasting a
significant part of their profits as well.”
He said Pakistan Dairy Development Company, which was a
non-profit organisation, had been providing financial and
technical assistance to dairy farmers, but its operations
had come to a halt because of non-release of funds by the
government for the last one year.
To a question, Ahmed said a large number of farmers were
using a certain type of injection to get milk from animals
on a continuous basis, adding this had affected the total
output of milk. In addition to this, animals are given water
for two times a day, which has kept milk production per
animal below five litres a day. However, in Australia, New
Zealand and the US, average milk production per animal is 20
to 25 litres a day.
Courtesy: Express Tribune
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