PESHAWAR, May 2: Milk production in the NWFP have recorded a reduction of 50 per cent in 2006.

According to the NWFP agriculture and livestock department data, the province had recorded a fall of 51,000 litres of milk in 2006. It produced 73,758 litres in 2006, showing a decrease of 50 per cent as compared to 124,000 litres produced in 2005.The livestock sector’s profit last year fell to Rs0.896 million from Rs1.79 million in 2005, a loss of Rs0.894 million to livestock farmers.

“This is despite the fact that the government holds milk fair every year in a bid to increase the production of milk,” said an official.

The reduction in milk production as well as profit has been attributed to the rising cost of production and lack of facilities in the sector.

The official said the provincial government had directed districts’ livestock officials to provide basic facilities as well as guidance to farmers to increase the milk production to 259,000 litres annually.

It has asked the departments concerned to extend soft-term loans and provide fodder and medicines to farmers on subsidised rates.

He said the production of milk and profit in the province was 152,655 litres and Rs1.024 million, respectively, in 2001-02. These had declined to 115,045 litres and Rs0.929 million in 2002-03, he added.

The official said the government had established animal husbandry training institutes in various districts of the province to raise the awareness level among farmers about livestock’s techniques. The setting up of these institutes was aimed at putting the livestock sector on modern lines, he added.

He said the province had lost thousands of litres of milk because of lack of knowledge of the people associated with the livestock business. Farmers were also not aware of the upkeep of the livestock, he said, adding that the government had decided to train farmers on modern lines to increase the production.