GOAT MARKETING SYSTEM IN THE PROJECT AREA

TALAGANG, DISTRICT CHAKWAL

By

Abid Hussain
Dr. M. Azeem Khan
Muhammad Zubair Anwar

For

ICARDA’S RESEARCH PROJECT

REHABILITATION OF AGRICULTURAL LIVELIHOOD OF WOMEN IN
MARGINAL AND POST-CONFLICT AREAS OF AFGHANISTAN:
PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH, DISSEMINATION AND ADOPTION OF
IMPROVED GOAT PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

SOCIAL SCIENCES DIVISION

PAKISTAN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

2009
INTRODUCTION

Importance of Livestock Sector

Livestock sector’s share in the GDP of Pakistan is greater than that of crops; as this sector
contributes 11 per cent in the GDP; whereas, share of crops is 10.3 per cent. (GoP, 2006).
In Pakistan 30-35 million rural population is involved in livestock production.
Contribution of this sector in average annual income of a farmer is about 30-40% (GoP,
2003). Livestock is a major component of the arid farming systems and closely associated
with crop production. The socioeconomic and physiological conditions of the rainfed areas
do not permit farmers to rely on crop production as a sole source of income. Mainly
uncertain and erratic rainfall cause crop failure and have adverse effect on the livelihood
the poor farmers. Thus, in arid areas of the country livestock farming in general and goat
farming in particular act as security against crop failure. Thus, the importance of goat
farming for the rural economy of arid areas can not be overemphasized.

Livestock production in rainfed areas has tremendous potential for development. The
sector confronts host of constraints which if circumvented can double the output of
livestock products (Khan et al, 1999). This study was designed to study the goat marketing
system in ICARDA project area Talagang, district Chakwal with following objectives

Objectives

 To find out sex ratio in goat selling, average age, average weight and breed wise
selling pattern at market level.

 To determine breed and purpose wise sale prices.

 To find marketing integration in Talagang and Chakwal markets by taking per kg

live weight prices of goats marketed for slaughtering purpose on monthly basis for
a period of four months.
General Information about the Area

The district Chakwal is bordered by the districts of Rawalpindi and Attock on the north,
district Jhelum on the east and south-east, disctirct Khushab on the south and district
Mianwali on the west. The goat project was initiated in tehsil Talagang of district Chakwal.
Chakwal is an arid district and the terrain is mainly hilly, covered with scrub forest in the
south west and leveled plains interspaced with dry rocky patches in the north-east. The
total area of the district is 6542 square kilometers (GoP, 2000).

Livestock Production System

The ability of animals to adapt to Talagnag’s harsh topographic, climatic and botanical
environment and peoples’ need have determined the type of animal raised. In the area,
animals raised include goats, sheep, cows, buffaloes and donkeys. All these animals are
important and play a crucial role in the fulfillment of farmers’ basic subsistence needs of
the. Because of low rainfall and resource poorness, most of the people living in rural areas
raise few animals. This supplementary animal raising, sometimes, accounts for a major
portion of the household income and helps increase farm productivity. Almost every
household keeps 2-3 goats to meet the milk and emergency cash needs. In district
Chakwal, goat population is increasing while that of other livestock species is decreasing
(Table 1)

Table 1. Livestock Inventory and Changes in Livestock Composition

Livestock Species 1996 2000 % Change
Cattle 183000 131000 -39.6
Buffaloes 153000 120000 -27.3
Sheep 125000 100000 -25.0
Goats 378000 449000 15.8
Source: Punjab Development Statistics

The rainfed area is divided in three categories i.e. high, medium and low rainfall areas. The
project area fall in the region of low rainfall, therefore goat production system followed in
these areas was relatively different. There are three main goat production system in the
project areas. The choices of system mainly depend upon the objectives of keeping goats.
Farmers mainly keep goat for the following purposes;

 Domestic milk use

 Sacrificial animals
 Meat production

Although goats are mainly kept for milk purpose though these are also raised for marketing
and sacrificial purposes. People usually sell animals to meet their emergency needs.

Relative Importance of Goat Species

Animal husbandry plays a crucial role in rural economy as it is closely linked with farm
economy and is dominated by small farmers and landless people. Expansion in crop
cultivation and availability of irrigation water from dams and wells has resulted in
diversification of livestock species in the area. Generally, large farmers prefer to keep
buffaloes, while medium and small farmers favor cows, goats and sheep. Among these
species goat is the preferred one. Goat is considered as cow of the poor man because area
people not only consume goat milk for making tea but also feed to their infants. In
addition, goat kids are emergency cash source them.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Data Collection
Two main livestock markets of the district Chakwal viz. Chakwal and Talagang were
selected for data collection. Weekly goat marketing data from September, 2008 to January,
2009 was collected from Chakwal market and from July, 2008 to December, 2008 from
Talagnag livestock markets. In total 373 observations were taken from Chakwal market
and 616 observations from Talagang market.

RESULTS AND DISUSSION

Average market volume of goats was high in Chakwal livestock market than in Talagang
market. Average market volume of goats was 4500 animals per market day in Chakwal
and 3500 animals in Talagang market. Commission charges were same in both the
markets, amounting 6 per cent of the sale prices.

Sex Ratio in Goat Selling at Market Level

Male goats have more demand than female goats as they are mostly slaughtered for meat
consumption and also kept for breeding purposes. In both the markets about 70 per cent of
the marketed goats were male (Table 2).

Table 2. Sex Ratio in Goat Selling at Market Level

Sex Percent Animals
Talagang Chakwal All
Male 71.6 70.5 71.2
Female 28.4 29.5 28.8
Source: Survey Data 2008-09

Selling age of goat at Market Level

There were considerable differences in selling age of both male and female goats as well as
across markets. In Chakwal livestock market, male goats are marketed at relatively young
age as compared to Talagang market. Opposite was the case for female goats, as they were
market at lower age in Talagnag as compared to Chakwal market. The weaning age of goat
is about 4 months. If we compare selling age of goats in these markets with the selling age
at village level. It is found that most of the transactions are made up to the age of 6 months
in villages of the project area. Thus poor farmers have to sale goats at such young age to
meet their urgent cash needs (Table 3).

Table 3. Selling age of goat at Market Level

Age Market Level Village
(months) Talagang Chakwal All Level
 M F All F M F
Up to 6 3.0 3.0 12.9 5.4 6.7 3.4 51.1
7-12 18.4 32.2 51.4 30.9 39.5 28.0 11.4
13-18 62.2 48.4 16.3 9.1 36.5 28.4 19.3
19 and 16.4 16.4 19.4 54.6 17.3 40.2 18.2
above
Source: Survey Data 2008-09

Selling weight of goats

As mentioned earlier most of the male goats are sold out at younger age in Chakwal
livestock market therefore selling weight of most of the goats was in range of 11-30 kgs in
Chakwal and 31 kg and above in Talagang. On the whole, weight of most of the goats
marketed in these markets was in range of 11-40 kgs at sale time (Table 4).

Table 4. Selling weight of goats

Weight Talagang Chakwal All
(kgs)
M F M F M F
Up to 10 3.6 2.9 7.3 3.7 5.0 3.2
11-20 13.5 18.9 46.3 43.7 25.8 28.4
21-30 5.1 23.0 29.3 45.4 25.7 31.5
31-40 50.6 35.4 14.4 7.2 25.6 24.6
Above 40 27.2 18.8 2.7 0.0 17.9 12.3
Source: Survey Data 2008-09

Breed Wise Goat Selling Pattern

Beetal, teddy and cross or undescriptive are the goat breeds marketed in livestock markets
of the projects area. Beetal is the main breed followed by teddy in Tlagang livestock
market and local goat breed in Chakwal livestock market (Table 5). Beetal is a breed used
both for meat and milk production Traditionally beetal breed was not preferred by the area
farmers, as stall feeding is required for it and farmers avoid grazing beetal goats as their
long ears got injured during grazing. However, with the development of water resources
and social prestige to rear milk animals, beetal breed has been adopted very rapidly by the
area farmers and now it has got the status of the major breed major breed in the project
area.

Table 5. Breed Wise Goat Selling Pattern

Breeds Talagang Chakwal All
M F M F M F
Beetal 38.1 40.6 27.0 20.0 33.9 32.6
Teddy 33.5 32.0 14.1 20.0 26.4 27.4
Local 11.6 7.4 23.2 19.1 15.9 11.9
Rulged 12.9 14.9 7.6 10.9 10.9 13.3
Others (Pahari/Jatal, 3.9 5.1 28.1 30.0 12.9 14.8
barbari etc.)
Source: Survey Data 2008-09

Beetal Goat Market Prices

Goat prices in Chakwal livestock market remain comparatively higher than Talagang
market, because it is the main market located in the district headquarters and middlemen
(beoparies) come here from Jehlum, Gujrat, Mirpur Khas and other main cities. Prices of
goats sold for rearing purpose were higher than marketed for other purposes. Prices of both
male and female goats’ were higher in Chakwal livestock market as compared to Talagang
market (Table 6).

Table 6. Beetal Goat Market Prices

Male Goat Market Prices
Purpose Market Av. Age Av. Weight Price per kg
(Months) (Kgs) (Rs.)
Rearing Chakwal 9.0 20.2 238.7 (4822)
Talagang 11.6 32.3 155.1(5011)
Slaughtering Chakwal 15.6 38.4 201.0 (7718)
Talagang 17.5 42.0 202.1 (8487)
Sacrificial Chakwal 15.4 44.9 370.1 (16619)
Talagang - - -
She-goat Market Prices
Rearing Chakwal 27.6 31.3 261.4 (8183)
Talagang 21.8 35.7 177.7 (6345)
Slaughtering Chakwal 18.4 32.7 190.2 (6219)
Talagang 24.0 43.8 174.2 (7632)
Source: Survey Data 2008-09
Note figures in parentheses are prices of live animals
Teddy Goat Market Prices
Teddy male and female goat market prices establish our earlier results that generally goat
sale prices remain higher in Chakwal market than in Talagang market (Table 7).
Table 7. Teddy Goat Market Prices
Male Goat Market Prices
Purpose Market Av. Age Av. Weight Price per kg
(Months) (Kgs) (Rs.)
Rearing Chakwal 10.0 22.2 155.2 (3445)
Talagang 13.5 26.9 160.4 (4314)
Slaughtering Chakwal 14.7 22.4 202.3(4533)
Talagang 17.4 36.0 167.0 (6010)
Sacrificial Chakwal 12.5 27.5 192.2 (5285)
Talagang - - -
She-goat Market Prices
Rearing Chakwal 25.2 28.3 170.0 (4812)
Talagang 13.8 23.3 157.0 (3657)
Slaughtering Chakwal 15.3 22.8 212.1(4836)
Talagang 26.0 36.5 148.1 (5406)
Sacrificial Chakwal 12.0 27.5 177.3 (4876)
Talagang - - -
Source: Survey Data 2008-09

Marketing Integration
As figure given below indicates that goat prices remained higher in Chakwal market as
compared to Talagang market from October 2008 to January, 2009, therefore it can be
concluded that Talagang and Chakwal markets are not co-integrated. The price difference
ranged from Rs.29 to Rs.63 per kg live weight of goats. While the average live weight of
the goats marketed for slaughtering purpose was about 23 kgs. Which mean that difference
in prices of live goats is about Rs.580 to Rs.1260 per animal in the Talagang and Chakwal
markets. So, goat farmers of the project area can get benefit by doing collective marketing
in Chakwal market, where prices remain higher than other markets of the district.

Per Kg Live Weight Prices of Goats

Marketed for Slaughtering Purpose

250
218
200 184 190 178
R s./kg

150 161 163

121
100
50
0
October November December January
Months

Chakwal
Source: Survey Data 2008-09 Talagang

References

Government of Pakistan. 2003. Milk Production, Processing and Marketing in Pakistan”

Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Livestock Wing), Government of Pakistan.

Government of Pakistan. 2006. Economic Survey, 2005-06. Ministry of Finance,

Economic Advisory Wing, Islamabad.

Khan, M. A., M. I. Sheikh, A. D., Khan N. A. and Tariq B. et al 1999. Baseline Survey of
livestock management in the rainfed farming systems of Pothwar and Shakargarh, Punjab.
Socioeconomic Research Studies SSI, NARC.