Livestock contributes 60.1pc to agriculture value addition, 11.5pc to GDP during FY 2020-21

Dunya News

Livestock contributes 60.1pc to agriculture value addition, 11.5pc to GDP during FY 2020-21

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The livestock sector has contributed 60.1 percent to the agriculture value addition and 11.5 percent to the GDP during fiscal year 2020-21 as livestock in the country has emerged as the largest subsector in agriculture.

According to Economic Survey of fiscal year 2020-21, more than 8 million rural families are engaged in livestock production and deriving more than 35-40 percent of their income from this source. Gross value addition of livestock was increased to Rs 1,505 billion (2020-21) from Rs 1,461 billion (2019-20), an increase of 3.0 percent.

The government has renewed its focus on the livestock sector for economic growth, food security, and poverty alleviation in the country.

The overall livestock development strategy resolves to foster “private sector-led development with public sector providing enabling environment through policy interventions”.

The regulatory measures are aimed at improving per unit animal productivity by improving health coverage, management practices, animal breeding practices, artificial insemination services, use of balanced ration for animal feeding, and controlling livestock diseases.

To address investment related issue in the value added livestock export sector, government is considering to develop meat export processing zones, (for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD),

Peste des Petitis Ruminants (PPR), Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), facilitate setting up of modern slaughterhouses and introduce various schemes to facilitate access to finances.