Package for livestock farmers

The Punjab livestock and dairy development department (L&DDD) will spend a sum of Rs 350 million on 'enhancing beef production' programme for encouraging livestock farmers to rear buffalo calves to at least up to one year of age instead of getting rid of them during the first month. The department will extend financial incentives in two categories to livestock farmers to rear 45,000 calves during the financialyear 2016-17 in order to enhance meat production in the province.Sources in the department told that under the 'enhancing beef production' project, the livestock farmers will retain theirmale calves for first four months after getting registered withthe government. This is called 'save the calf' portion of the main project which is aimed at bringing down the mortality rate of male calves presently hovering around 30 percent."Livestock farmers will be provided a package of technical assistance which includes awareness to save the calf, de-worming, vaccination and treatment of the animal free of cost," the sources said, adding that during this period a male calf can attain 300-400 grams weight per day. After successful retaining of the calf, the livestock farmer would bepaid Rs 6,500 per animal on the completion of four months period. This programme has been launched by the department in all the districts where buffalo population is high, the sources said.After this phase, the department will ask the farmers to retainthe calf till the age of one year or so. They will be provided a sum of Rs 4,000 for this purpose. During this period, a calf can attain from 0.75 to 1 kilogram of weight per day and on average a year-old calf will have weight of 120 to 130 kilogram. This would add to the total production of beef in the province.The sources said that financial assistance would be extendedto 20,000 calves under 'save the calf' component and 25,000 calves under 'feedlot fattening' component of this project. Punjab's livestock resources hold considerable potential for increasing the production of meat. It has been estimated thatabout 6-7 million buffalo/cattle male calves are available for fattening in the province. But majority of these calves are sent to slaughter houses at 1-3 weeks of age. Some calves are raised to 60-80 kg on extremely poor and unbalanced diets.Secretary Livestock and Dairy Development Department Punjab Nasim Sadiq told Business Recorder that the department is focusing on enhancing meat and milk production in the province and steps are being taken to enhance beef production and a ban on slaughtering of femalecalves is part of these efforts. He claimed that 72 percent female calves were being slaughtered before the ban which has come down to 21 percent.News SourceNews Collated byPAKISSAN.comCourtesy www.brecorder.com