By Anzal Amin
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that the agriculture and livestock sectors have the potential to significantly strengthen the national economy within a year through modern technology, scientific research, and coordinated federal and provincial efforts, as he unveiled an ambitious reform agenda for the country’s livestock sector.
Addressing the national seminar titled “Harnessing Pakistan’s Livestock Potential” after inaugurating the Pakistan Animal Identification and Traceability System (PAITS), the prime minister 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land, water and hardworking farmers but had failed to fully exploit its agricultural and livestock potential due to outdated practices and inadequate value addition.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.
He stressed that improving livestock productivity, adopting modern farming practices and enhancing value addition were essential to expanding exports and strengthening the economy.
The prime minister announced that 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. The initiative follows 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 the lessons learned from the first batch be fully 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.
PM Shehbaz Sharif also announced full federal funding for the indigenous development of a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine. He said that the project would be professionally managed through outsourcing to meet international standards.
While congratulating officials on organising the national seminar, the prime minister described livestock reform as a long-term national endeavour requiring consensus and collaboration between the federal and provincial governments. Welcoming representatives from across the country, he emphasised that Pakistan must now focus on practical implementation rather than rhetoric to unlock the sector’s true potential.
Earlier, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain welcomed the prime minister and 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 for Pakistan’s growing population while increasing agricultural exports.
Rana Tanveer Hussain highlighted that 1,000 agriculture graduates had already completed specialised training in China and announced that another batch would soon be dispatched. He said the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) was also being transformed with support from advanced Chinese agricultural research institutions.
He said Pakistan’s dairy export potential was estimated at around US$14.5 billion, while meat exports could generate nearly US$5 billion annually if the livestock sector was modernised. He added 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 to improve agricultural productivity.
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 percent to the national GDP.
He noted that Pakistan is home to around 110 million 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.
Brigadier Ehtesham said the Green Corporate Livestock Initiative envisions transforming Pakistan’s livestock sector through modern management, improved animal health and greater private-sector participation.
He stressed that the country required a comprehensive policy reset that encourages private investment, modernises production systems and strengthens disease control to unlock the sector’s full economic potential.
Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Agriculture and Food Security, Ahmad Umair said livestock contributes nearly 60 percent of Pakistan’s agricultural GDP, making it the backbone of the agriculture sector.
He said future reforms would prioritise improving the productivity of each animal through better genetics, disease control, scientific breeding and nutrition rather than simply increasing livestock numbers.
He identified genetics, disease management, nationwide traceability, improved access to finance and stronger federal-provincial coordination as the 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. The system would also facilitate livestock insurance and enhance financing by making animals bankable assets, he added.
