In spite of large herds of livestock in the country, there is shortage of animal protein. This is mainly because of lack of proper planning and slaughtering of immature and small-sized animals.

Karachi, where over 12 million people live, always faces shortage of meat and milk. To meet the requirement of the metropolis and other bigger cities, there is a need for proper short-term and long-term planning.

Short-term planning is the cross-breeding of local animals with the exotic beef breeds through artificial insemination, and cross breeding of local breed of goats and sheep with the Kamori and the Pateri breeds for producing more beef and mutton and for higher prices of the animals for the farmers.

The area of Tharparkar in Sindh, which is semi-arid, has a lot of potential for producing rich fodder after the rains. If the people of the area are trained in hay and silage making, and provided facilities for the purpose, fodder from this area can be supplied to other parts of the country at cheaper rates. This will consequently help reduce or replace the use of wheat husk and cottonseed cake.

In other words, the cost of these items could be reduced and kept under control which ultimately make milk and meat and other livestock products cheaper. The areas of Tharparkar and its surroundings are the best for cattle farming.

The cattle available in Sindh mainly in Tharparkar and the Kankrej are the fast growing and the best breeds for beef production. If the young calves of these breeds (10-12 months old) are put on proper feeding they grow fast and gain more than one kg daily.

There are more than two million Tharparkar and Kankrej breed cows which produce about two million calves per annum. These calves through good feeding can be reared into fine animals for quality beef.

Arid areas, where there is shortage of water and fodder, are the best for goat and sheep farming. Chhachro, Nagarparkar and its surrounding areas; the Mohal, Kohistan areas of Larkana, Dadu, Jamshoro, Thatta and Malir; and the kachho areas of Dadu and Kamber have the potential for such farming.

The proper and scientific age for slaughtering of animals is the age of adulthood i.e. about 25-26 months in big ruminants, and about 12 to 13 months in goats and sheep. The characteristics of the meat should be mainly proper colour, flavour, taste, nutrition and digestibility, which can be attained only after reaching the slaughtering age. Immature, weaker and diseased animals can not produce quality meat

By adopting the following plan, not only the meat requirement of the country could be met but there would be surplus meat which could be exported.

Breeding Farms: Small cattle breeding farms should be set up on a scale of 10 cows or 30goats. For this at least 2000 farmers from each of the afore- said districts should be provided a credit of Rs1.5 lakh each to meet the cost and other expenses of the animals. The recovery should be started after six months, on monthly basis in 12 equal installments.

Feed lot units: A loan of Rs1,00,000 should be provided to at least 1,000 farmers of the drought-hit districts to purchase 30 two-month-old male buffalo calves and meet the miscellaneous expenses. The recovery should be started after two years in equal six-monthly installments.

In each district 1,000 farmers should be provided a credit of Rs1.5 lakh each to purchase 20 Tharparkar/Kankrej male calves (10-month-old). The recovery should be started after 15 months in equal six-monthly installments.

Forty male goats of Pateri, Tapri or Bari breeds (six months old) should be supplied to 1000 farmers in each of the above districts through credit of Rs1,00,000, and the recovery should be started after six months in six monthly equal installments.

The farmers should also be provided credits for rearing and looking after of their flocks and the recovery should be made in small installments.

Through this project more than 20,000 cattle heads, 40,000 goats and sheep can be reared for the Eid-ul-Azha festival and more than 30,000 tons of high quality beef, over 10,000 tons of mutton, some 6,00,000 hides and skins could be produced annually and more than one lakh farmers and a large number of labourers could be involved in gainful project.

The technical services in the meat development areas may be provided by establishing meat development and extension centres, one centre for about 2,000 farmers having one lakh large ruminants and about the same number of goat and sheep flocks.

Free services should be provided for the maintenance of animal health, parasitic control, training of farmers, natural breeding service through high quality bulls and artificial breeding service through high quality semen. Credit facilities should also be provided for supply of fodder.

The livestock markets/cattle piris be upgraded in each area. Bigger important market should be provided with facilities of fodder, water, sheds for livestock and such other facilities. And changing the old system, the animals should be sold on the basis of their weight.

The suitable cattle for meat farming in Punjab is the Cholistani breed, for Balochistan the Bhaghnari breed, for the NWFP the Dajal and Dhani breeds. For Sindh and for all other provinces, the Tharparkar and the Kankrej breeds are suitable. The available larger breeds of sheep and goats should be reared for mutton farming in the arid areas of the country.

Through this project not only high quality meat would be obtained but also income of farmers would be increased and more job opportunities for rural people would be created.