Punjab Farmers Raise 400,000 Livestock in Year, Generating Billions in Profit

LAHORE: Rural farmers across Punjab have successfully raised over 400,000 livestock animals within a single year under provincial agricultural support mechanisms, generating billions of rupees in cumulative earnings, official figures revealed on Saturday. The substantial surge in livestock production reflects the expanding reach of targeted provincial welfare schemes designed to modernize animal husbandry and bolster household incomes across the province’s agrarian heartland.

Under the Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Livestock Card initiative, registered farmers secured an estimated profit of Rs 27,000 per animal, providing critical financial relief to smallholders navigating high production costs. Officials confirmed that alongside credit facilitation, the provincial administration has formally notified eight Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) free compartments, establishing certified containment zones essential for securing international veterinary clearance and accessing high-value foreign meat markets.

The livestock sector remains a cornerstone of Pakistan’s rural economy, contributing more than 60 percent to total agricultural output and serving as a primary livelihood source for millions of small-scale farmers. Agricultural analysts emphasize that systematic credit delivery combined with rigorous disease eradication protocols helps shield rural producers from exploitative middlemen while stabilizing domestic meat supplies and reinforcing national food security.

Moving forward, the Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development Department intends to widen the issuance of Livestock Cards to cover additional districts in upcoming phases. Provincial authorities are also coordinating with federal commerce regulators to leverage newly notified disease-free compartments to accelerate red meat export agreements with trading partners across the Gulf and Central Asia.