Current Feeding Problems in Pakistan’s Dairy Sector
Low-Quality Roughages and Seasonal Fodder Shortage
The majority of small and medium dairy farmers rely heavily on green fodder and crop residues like wheat straw, which are often low in protein and energy.
Seasonal variations cause feed scarcity during extreme summers and winters, affecting milk yield and animal health.
High Feed Costs
Concentrate feed ingredients like maize, soybean meal, and oil cakes are becoming expensive due to inflation and import dependency.
Many farmers reduce concentrate feeding to cut costs, leading to undernourished animals.
Poor Feed Formulation Practices
Lack of scientific feed formulation results in imbalanced rations, either deficient or excessive in nutrients, which affects productivity and reproductive performance.
Adulteration and Quality Issues
Contamination with aflatoxins, pesticide residues, or adulterants in commercial feed compromises animal health and milk safety.
Inadequate Knowledge and Advisory Services
Farmers often lack training in modern feeding techniques, nutrient requirements, and feed conservation methods.
Proposed Solutions
Fodder Conservation and Silage Making
Promote the use of maize, sorghum, and berseem silage to ensure year-round availability of high-quality forage.
Encourage community-based silage units for small farmers.
Use of Unconventional Feed Resources
Incorporate agro-industrial by-products like mango seed kernel meal, sugarcane bagasse, and date pits after detoxification to reduce feed costs and pressure on conventional grains.
Balanced Ration Formulation
Implement farmer training programs on Total Mixed Rations (TMR) and nutrient balancing based on animal requirements.
Provide mobile feed analysis units at district levels.
Feed Quality Regulation
Enforce strict quality control standards for commercial feeds, focusing on aflatoxin limits, nutrient specifications, and adulteration prevention.
Digital Advisory Platforms
Develop mobile apps or helplines for farmers to get instant guidance on feeding schedules, ration composition, and cost-effective practices.
