PM banks on livestock to strengthen economy

July 16, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan's agriculture and livestock sectors have the potential to significantly strengthen the national economy within a year through modern technology, scientific research, and coordinated federal-provincial efforts.

The prime minister made these remarks while addressing a national seminar titled "Harnessing Pakistan's Livestock Potential" after inaugurating the Pakistan Animal Identification and Traceability System (PAITS), APP reported.

He said Pakistan possessed abundant natural resources, fertile land, water, and hardworking farmers, but had failed to fully exploit its agricultural and livestock potential due to outdated practices and inadequate value addition.

He noted that Pakistan is the world's fourth-largest milk producer but continues to underperform in dairy and meat exports due to weak disease control, poor traceability, and limited processing infrastructure, stressing that improving livestock productivity, adopting modern farming practices, and enhancing value addition were essential to expanding exports and strengthening the economy.

Shehbaz Sharif said the government would send another 1,000 agriculture graduates from all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir to China for advanced agricultural training, following the successful completion of an earlier programme under which 1,000 graduates received specialised training in modern farming techniques and international best practices.

He directed that lessons from the first batch be incorporated into the next phase and reiterated the need for close cooperation between the federation and provinces despite agriculture being a devolved subject under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

The prime minister also said the government would provide full federal funding for the indigenous development of a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine, adding that the project would be professionally managed through outsourcing to meet international standards.

He described livestock reform as a long-term national endeavour requiring consensus and collaboration between the federal and provincial governments, and said Pakistan must now focus on practical implementation rather than rhetoric.

Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, welcoming the prime minister, said his participation reflected the government's strong commitment to making livestock development a national priority.

He said the government's focus on agriculture over the past two years had led to significant reforms aimed at ensuring food security while increasing agricultural exports.

Rana Tanveer Hussain said 1,000 agriculture graduates had already completed specialised training in China, with another batch to be dispatched soon, and that the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) was being transformed with support from advanced Chinese agricultural research institutions.

He said Pakistan's dairy export potential was estimated at around $14.5bn, while meat exports could generate nearly $5bn annually if the livestock sector was modernised, adding that reforms would focus on herd improvement, disease control, technology adoption, and nationwide livestock traceability.

He also highlighted the operationalisation of the National Seed Development Authority and government initiatives providing collateral support to farmers.

Chief Operating Officer of the Green Corporate Livestock Initiative (GCLI), Brigadier Ehtesham, said livestock remained an integral part of nearly every household in Pakistan and contributed approximately 14% to the national GDP.

He noted that Pakistan is home to around 110m cattle and buffaloes, making it the world's fourth-largest milk producer, yet the country continues to face serious animal health challenges that restrict access to premium international export markets.

He said the GCLI envisions transforming Pakistan's livestock sector through modern management, improved animal health, and greater private-sector participation, stressing the need for a comprehensive policy reset to encourage private investment, modernise production systems, and strengthen disease control.

Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Agriculture and Food Security, Ahmad Umair, said livestock contributes nearly 60% of Pakistan's agricultural GDP, making it the backbone of the agriculture sector.

He said future reforms would prioritize improving the productivity of each animal through better genetics, disease control, scientific breeding, and nutrition rather than simply increasing livestock numbers, identifying genetics, disease management, nationwide traceability, improved access to finance, and stronger federal-provincial coordination as key pillars of the government's livestock transformation strategy.

Ahmad Umair said the newly launched PAITS, developed jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), would improve documentation and traceability of livestock, enabling producers to access premium international markets, while also facilitating livestock insurance and enhancing financing by making animals bankable assets.

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