LAHORE: Cattle farmers have warned of milk and meat shortages as most of the livestock has fallen prey to floods and lumpy skin disease.

In a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Cattle & Dairy Farmers Association of Pakistan president Shakir Umar Gujjar fears that the country may face food security issues as the recent floods have not only devastated crops but also washed away the animals spared by the lumpy skin disease.

He cautions that the shortage of fodder and livestock will lead to a skyrocketing rise in prices of milk, meat and eggs affecting the purchasing power of the masses.

He urges the prime minister to remove hurdles in the improvement of livestock to save the country from shortage of milk and meat.

Mr Gujjar claims that Pakistan can meet only 45 per cent of the fodder requirements of its livestock and the government needs to meet the scarcity of animal feed by banning the export of husk of all crops, including wheat and rice.

He regrets that husk and stalks of various crops, rice polish and the residue of rapeseed and cotton were also being exported without any hindrance while the country was facing a shortage of fodder.

If not checked, he says, the farmers will have to use imported feed which will add to their production cost otherwise the undernourished livestock will fail to meet local requirements of milk and meat and thus an exorbitant hike in the prices of these kitchen items.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2022