CHALLENGES IN DAIRY PRODUCTION

IN PAKISTAN
Factors affecting dairy animal productivity
1. Breed/Genetics
2. Nutrition
3. Health
4. Reproduction
5. Management
6. Marketing
Breed/Genetics
1. Low productivity
Lactation Averages:
Breed Lactation yield Butterfat (%) Max. per day
(litre) (litres)
Nili Ravi 1800-2500 6.5 30.28

Kundi 1700-2200 6.5

Sahiwal 1500-1800 4.5 24.77

X-bred 3000-4000 4.0 48.53

2. Limited number of dairy animals with
higher genetic make up
3. Limited availability of proven bulls with
higher genetic make up
4. Low AI coverage (10-15%)
5. In vitro fertilization technique not well
established
Nutrition
1. Animals are underfed:
deficient in energy by 25% and protein by
38%
2. Non-availability of fodder round the year.
Two scarcity periods:
May-June and October-November
3. Hay and Silage making not popular
4. Land for fodder decreasing
5. Limited availability of seed for high
yielding fodder varieties
6. Low quality fodder and methods for
improving their quality not popular
7. Concentrate feeds are expensive
8. Feeding cost high
Health:
1. Vaccination coverage against contagious
disease not 100%
2. Vaccine Quality very low: Occurrence of
disease despite vaccination
3. Limited veterinary coverage and
expensive medicine and Veterinarian fee
4. Awareness about sub-clinical mastitis
non-existent
Reproduction
1. High age at first calving due to
underfeeding and/or mineral deficiency
and silent heat in buffaloes
2. Age at first calving in
Buffaloes: 48 months (should be 36)
Cows: 44 months (should be 30)
3. High Calving Interval due to:

Less conception rate by AI than by

natural mating

Reproductive problems: anoestrous,

repeat breeding

Silent Heat in buffaloes

Result: Low productive life of dairy

animals
Housing and Management
1. Improper Housing for extreme weathers
(High summer temperature, Chilling
winters)
2. Lack of awareness about the importance
of clean water round the clock
3. High calf mortality due to negligence in
calf management during early days
Marketing
1. Low price of milk to the farmers: Higher cost
of production than sale price of milk
2. High feeding cost of calves during weaning
period:
(Rs. 7000-8000 for cow calf and Rs. 10000-
12000 for a buffalo calf but their sale price is
not more than Rs. 4000-5000 on meat rates
1. High price of lactating dairy animals
2. Non-availability of animals with production
records