PHOTO: REUTERS
LAHORE: Dairy farms can increase their milk production by up to 50% by housing cows in environmentally controlled sheds, experts observed while speaking at a seminar organised by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda) on the “Environment-Controlled Dairy Sheds”.
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Speakers included Aleem Bhatti, a renowned expert in dairy development, Smeda Manager on Dairy and Livestock Services Adnan Ali and other experts in the field.
Ali said dairy farmers were facing several challenges due to a drastic decline in milk production in the summer season, which was making their businesses unviable, adding neighbouring countries overcame similar challenges by introducing environmentally controlled sheds. He advised the farmers to create an animal-friendly controlled environment in the sheds by installing tunnel ventilation systems along with insulation of walls and roofs.
“Maintenance of sheds furnished with storm fans requires nominal investment, but it increases milk production in the range of 40% to 50%,” he said, adding Pakistan’s milk production could rise from the current 50 million litres to 100 million litres.
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“This will increase the total income of this sector from $12 billion to $24 billion,” he claimed.
Smeda’s Naureen Anjum observed that the dairy sector was a high potential area for investment.
“Having an average of 30 litres of milk per animal and selling it for at least Rs60 per litre, an investor can get the total investment back within four years only,” she said.
Decrying the low number of environmentally controlled sheds in Pakistan, Anjum said adoption of the technology on a large scale would reduce per unit price of milk production along with creating massive employment opportunities.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 22nd, 2017.
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