Prof. Dr. Muhammad Younus
Institute of Animal and Dairy Sciences (IADS)
Faculty of Animal Husbandry (FAH), University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF)-PAKISTAN
E-mail: myounas07@gmail.com
مصری حسینہ قلو پطرہ دودھ سے غسل کرتی تھی
Milk is the source of all dairy products, that’s why it is called Milk Tree as all other products originate from milk. Milk is jam-packed with nutrients and is one of nature's most nutrient-rich foods. Milk provides body-building proteins, bone forming minerals, health giving vitamins and furnishes energy giving lactose and milk fat. All these nutrients are in a very easily digestible form. The scientists claim that milk is around ~ 85% water, while the rest is made up of nutritious vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Some of the smaller things inside the milk, called particles, are white in color. Scientists have learned though science of chemistry that how matter interacts with energy. One of the things is explained that fat and protein molecules reflect every light wavelength, giving its iconic white appearance. Cleopatra, an ancient Egyptian queen, took milk bath's to keep her skin looking young and healthy.
Milk is white because it contains casein - a milk protein that is rich in calcium. Milk is one of the world’s oldest foods. The 100 gm of cow milk contains water (87.99), calories (61), fat (3.34 g), protein (3.29 g), carbohydrates (4.66 g), cholesterol (14 mg), calcium (119 mg), phosphorous (93 mg), sodium (49 mg), potassium (152 mg), vitamin C (0.94 mg), vitamin A (120 IU) and riboflavin (0.162 mg). Further studies show that an 8 oz glass of milk has 21 minerals, 13 vitamins and provides 13 essential nutrients. Whole milk is 2 ingredients. Real whole milk has a clean and simple label just 2 ingredients: milk and supplemental vitamin D. Bovine colostrum is the first milk produced after birth and is a rich natural source of macro- and micro-nutrients, immunoglobulins, and peptides with anti-microbial activity and growth factors. One glass of milk can give you 30% of your daily calcium - a nutrient that growing kids need to form healthy teeth and bones.
Milk Production over the Globe
Milk production in developing countries of South Asia jumped after 1970, and the region has become a key player in world milk production. The region consisted of 745 million dairy animals that accounted for 21% of dairy animals in the world. The region was also home to 25% of cattle and buffaloes, 15% of sheep and goats, and 7% of camels in the world. Currently it is contributing about 200 million tons of milk that accounts around 20% of global milk production despite low milk yield of the dairy animals.
In Pakistan, livestock plays an important role and grew at a rate of 4% in 2018-19, accounting for about 60.5% of agriculture value added and 11.2% of GDP. The importance of the sector can be realized from the fact that it is not only a source of foreign exchange earnings, but also a source of income for over 8 million rural families. Within the livestock sector, milk is the largest single commodity. Overtime, the higher growth in the livestock sector was mainly attributed due to milk production.
Which countries are highest milk producers?
According to production data of FAO Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT), India is the highest milk producer i.e., rank first position in the world contributing 196.18 million tons (2019), twenty-four (24%) percent of global milk production, USA produced 99.16 million tons, and Pakistan 47.30 million tons in the year 2019-20. So Pakistan was ranked as the 3rd largest milk producer in the world.
Population of livestock in Pakistan is to the tune of buffalo (43.7 M), cattle (53.4 M), sheep (31.9 M), goat (82.5 M), mules (0.2 M), donkeys (5.7 M), horses (0.4 M) and camel (1.1 M). Per capita availability of milk is 168 liters per annum, meat is 22.5 kg, fish 2.9 kg, eggs are 8.1 dozen and calories 2735 per day (GOP, 2021-22).
Approximately 80% milk is produced at small scale in rural areas, 15% peri- urban and 5% in the urban areas. Average annual milk production during 1960s and 1970s was 6.6 million tons and 8.1 million tons, respectively. This increased from 12 million tons (1985-86), to 48 million tons in 2018-19, a qaudrupling in three decades. About 97% of the milk consumed is in the fresh form and remaining 3 % is processed (UHT) with 15-20% wastage in some areas. Most of the dairy farms are smallholding with subsistence (70%), with market-oriented-level (20%) farming followed by rural commercial (2.9%), peri-urban production system (2%) and large peri-urban commercial farming (0.005%). Milk composition has also changed between 1985-86 with a marginal increase in cow milk and reduction in buffalo milk (67% buffalo, 31% cow and 2% goat, sheep and camel) in 1985-86, to 60% buffalo, 36% cow and 4% goat, sheep and camel in 2018-19.
Landhi Dairy Colony (also known as Bhains Colony or Landhi Cattle Colony), is the world's largest buffalo colony, located in Bin Qasim Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Landhi Colony regularly supplies more than 80% of the milk in Karachi. Currently, there are more than 20 dairy processing plants operating in the country. The major product produced by them is UHT or pasteurized milk. Mostly they have a capacity of 50,000 liters per day. All UHT plants claim that their milk is 100 % Fresh, Pure & Nourishing and having the contents written as per their labels. This is the first choice of all purity & health conscious households. Produced in state of the art dairy facilities and untouched by human hand, every drop of milk ensures highest production, processing & packaging standards.
Production Status
The indigenous breeds of buffalo and cows are considered as poor producers with lactation yields of 1800 and 1195 liters that remained constant across years. In advanced countries like USA, the average cow produces enough milk each day to fill six one-gallon jugs, about 55 pounds of milk. It takes more than 21 pounds of whole milk to make 1 pound of butter. The Punjab and Sindh are the major milk producing provinces, with annual production of 25.62 million and 9.35 million liters, respectively. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) produces an estimated 4.88 million liters per year, and Baluchistan 0.81 million liters (PDDC, 2006). Provincially, annual per capita consumption is highest in Sindh, at 246 kg. In Punjab it is about 132 kg, in KPK about 86 kg, and in Baluchistan about 108 kg. The average milk yield of the cow and buffalo is 14 and10 liters per day, respectively. It is still 5-6 times less than the developed countries. It rose to 70 kg per annum during 1990’s and was 100 kg/annum in 2017-18. During the last three decades, per capita milk availability has risen almost 3X in Pakistan (mentioned above). Imports of milk and milk products were Rs 0.3 billion in 1975-76, which rose to Rs 1.4 billion in 1990-91 and Rs 3 billion in 2007-08 while Rs 20 billion in 2017-18 or even more in recent years.
Why do we spend on Milk Imports?
Thus, the question arises that despite being the 3rd largest milk producing country, why are we spending Rs 20 billion per year on the import of milk and milk products? The question looks very simple but its answer is very tedious and tiresome. My knowledge and experience has dictated me the answer is very elaborate but to mark as beginning, I hereby present some of the reasons (40 points) as follow for our import of milk and milk products. These might answer to the reasons that why Pakistan imports milk worth of Rs 20 billion per annum.
1. Our population has limited knowledge about milk and its products. Not managing the milch animals properly in a scientific and desirable way.
2. Summer months are really terrible for milking cows and buffaloes. Appropriate technologies for management in tropical climate conditions don’t exist, if they do, they are beyond the reach of resource poor farmers.
3. Regional and seasonal fluctuations that affect the production and distribution of milk.
4. Milk supply to plants reaches with mix of milk from cow, buffalo, camel and goat, with varying quality and contents. This species-wise variation in milk quality received by dairy plants, cause some issues of processing.
5. Shortage of power supply also hinders in proper management, feeding, housing, milking, processing and breeding as well.
6. Feeding issues are not resolved. Our animals are mostly underfed. We don’t provide them ample feed and fodder and hardly their physiological requirements are met. We are making buildings, roads, housing societies, colonies and villas on the land which can be used for (i) growing grains for humans, (ii) feed & fodders for livestock and (iii) water storage reservoirs for agriculture, especially for fodder & grain production.
7. Water is not offered ad lib and what we give intermittently, may not be fit for drinking. Animals should be given the water which we would like to drink.
8. Animal health coverage is marginal and usually mis-reported. Disease surveillance is very limited. Vaccinations are always wrong, short and out dated. Instead of improved animal health, more profits of the companies are cherished.
9. Reproductive management is misunderstood. Age of puberty is very high and first calving is delayed. We can’t breed the animal at proper time and not tuned for to get a calf per year.
10. Dry cow therapy is rarely understood. Dry cow therapy helps animal to replenish its body reserves, maintain good health and prepares to produce maximum in coming lactation. Neither this knowledge is available with the scientists & extension workers, nor reaches to farmers.
11. Obviously milk production of local animals is not fully exploited, and production is very low, not matching with our requirements.
12. Our emphasis is on increasing animal numbers, not their productivity per unit.
13. Each year some of the best producing animals especially around the river banks are lost in flash floods. No preparation for such disasters, which keep on knocking after every 4-5 years.
14. Our demand is unmatched. About 10-15 % milk is lost/wasted during handling, transportation, processing, other than calf feeding.
15. Less encouragement of small farmers to have their cooperatives to be heard at right forums to represent their stance. No cooperatives exist, whatever made were lost in the hands of looters.
16. Baby milk formulas are the major imports. Mothers are reluctant to breast feed, so they rely on imported milk formulae. Most of the international community in the country wants baby formula, and milk products like milk formula, baby feeds, butter, cheese, etc. are to be imported.
17. Skirmish between open milk and UHT milk prevails. This need to be taken care of through extension based outreach, knowledge and research based arguments, rather making it talk of the town.
18. Some people want to shunt-out the buffalo from our production system, which looks impossible. Culling of emaciated and low producing is acceptable but specie biases are not correct.
19. Which animal is the requirement of the country: local or imported. All whats and whys need to be resolved with proper reasoning, zoning and knowledge based consultations.
20. Lack of awareness for hygienic clean milk production. There are no strict law enforcement on clean milk production, milk handling, raw milk collections, processing and sales & purchases, with condiment of sincerity among the officers, office staff and filed workers.
21. UHT plants and big companies can be asked to give some space to local dealers, investors, small farmers, landless livestock farmers, women, children and retailers of loose milk handlers. Big organizations and MNC should play a helping role with small holders/farmers realizing to bring out them from poverty, rather pushing them to further poverty, hunger and malnourishment.
22. Change of mindset and perception of public for UHT milk through awareness, education, and proper extension campaigns is must.
23. Some rapid and positive changes need to be brought in the markets and marketing channels.
24. Change of government priorities and personal preferences hamper the development of the livestock and dairy sector.
25. Half-baked and ill-planned dairy schemes and programs could not yield the desirable results in different agro-climatic zones.
26. Our education of Animal Production and Animal Health should complement each other in the best interest of the poor country. Role of both sectors be defined and should be given with time-framed calculated targets to achieve their goals instead of being dagger drawn with each other. Unless this exercise in done, we will be dwindling in the dark.
27. Lack of awareness and preparations about the WTO opportunities. At times when we became signatory to WTO, we were not knowing the details, its benefits and its requirements.
28. Lack of infrastructure for offering Dairy Business Planning and Management programs to train dairy personnel.
29. Lack of marketing infrastructures and avenues for the dairy produce.
30. Lack of proper zoning and agro-climatic zones and their implementation. Disease free zones for livestock are missing.
31. Lack of software for preparing needed dairy schemes/projects.
32. Less encouragement of people to invest in the sector to fill the supply gap at a competitive cost.
33. Our statistics and data recording procedures need much improvement. Our data are not reliable, dependable & trustworthy and can’t be used to analyze or predict our professional developmental programs and strategies.
34. Political stability is also a big factor in investing dairying. Import of machinery and export of dairy animals or products suffer over time. Rule of law should prevail in these sectors of Livestock, Dairy and Poultry.
35. Scarce capital for investment in the dairy development programs on a priority basis.
36. Will of the Government and Dept priorities need to be stabilized, channelized and focused. Whenever any project is ready to take off for dividends, the officers/bosses are budged to next destinations. Condiments of ethics and patriotism are badly missing. People have forgotten that they are answerable, anywhere or somewhere.
37. Milk is not only the basic source of nutrition for a whole range of products (milk, butter, dahi, ghee, lassi) but also livestock rearing and breeding are critical livelihood components for small producers.
38. We have also failed to prepare our youth to act as army to save and safeguard our nation to become proactive to rear and save our livestock population.
39. Last but not the least, our population is exploding at a high speed. We have failed in preparing our farmers to become steward of the environment, to manage their animal populations during natural vagaries and frequent occurring disasters.
40. The only factory which is multiplying year round is population manufacturing, others may close or shut down but this factory has never met any power shortage. Obviously, we are producing more mouths to fill rather than more hands to work.
These are some of the main riddles that necessitate the spending of this much exchequer on the import of milk and dairy related products in the country. Solutions to these riddles in detail will follow separately (IA).
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