ISLAMABAD: Despite climatic challenges, the agriculture sector has shown resilience, especially through sustained growth in livestock, the Economic Survey stated.

The agriculture sector continues to play a pivotal role in economic resilience and rural livelihood, contributing 23.5 per cent to GDP and employing over 37 per cent of the labour force.

In the current fiscal year 2024-25, the sector recorded a growth of 0.56 per cent, primarily led by a 4.72 per cent rise in livestock despite diverse challenges.

Other major contributing sub-sectors included fisheries and forestry, which grew by 1.42 per cent and 3.03 per cent, respectively.

The livestock sector has its positive contribution to the external sector and accounts for approximately 2.9 per cent of total exports through the trade of meat, live animals and animal-based products.

The sector contributed 63.6 per cent to agriculture’s value addition and 14.97 per cent to the GDP.

During the nine months of the fiscal year 2025, herd sizes grew moderately across major species. Cattle and buffalo populations reached 59.7 million and 47.7 million, respectively, mainly driven by rising demand for milk and meat, improved veterinary services and better market access.

Goat and sheep populations are also rising, as these are well-suited to smallholder farmers and areas with limited water availability.

During July-March 2025, Pakistan’s gross milk production remained 72.34 million tonnes, reflecting a 3.2 per cent annual increase, driven by higher yields and increased livestock population.

Buffalo milk remains the dominant contributor at 43.13 million tonnes, followed by cow milk at 27.08 million tonnes.

Growth is supported by improved animal health services, better feeding practices and expansion in commercial dairy operations.

Of the total milk output, 58.3 million tonnes are estimated for human consumption, marking a 3.2 per cent rise from the previous year, while the remaining is used for direct value addition, including preparation of ghee and butter.

This increase aligns with population growth and rising urban demand for dairy products.

While in the meat segment, total production remained 5.97 million tonnes, registering a growth of 2.7 per cent over the last year.

As the national herd population continues to improve, there were 59.7 million cattle in the country compared to 57.5 million in the nine months of the fiscal year 2023-24.

The buffalo population rose to 47.7 in July-March 2025 against 46.3million last year, sheep 33.1 million and goat population to 89.4 million.

However, the population of load carrying animals did not witness any change except for donkeys, as their numbers increased to six million against 5.9 million last year, while camels remained at 1.2 million, horses 400,000 and mules at 200,000, mainly due to the shift towards mechanisation.

The economic survey added that livestock remains the most dynamic and resilient sub-sector of Pakistan’s agriculture, integrated into rural livelihood, engaging over eight million rural households. It contributes to around 30-40 per cent to their incomes.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2025