{"id":5760,"date":"2026-03-26T05:30:48","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T05:30:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailytimes.net.pk\/?p=5760"},"modified":"2026-03-26T05:30:48","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T05:30:48","slug":"punjab-launches-initiative-to-promote-indigenous-livestock-breeds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailytimes.net.pk\/?p=5760","title":{"rendered":"Punjab launches initiative to promote indigenous livestock breeds"},"content":{"rendered":"

LAHORE, Mar 25 (ABC<\/a>): The Punjab government has launched an initiative to preserve and promote indigenous livestock breeds including the Sahiwal cow and the Nili Ravi buffalo.
\nOut of the total allocation of Rs20 billion under Punjab Herd Transformation to Enhance Livestock Productivity programme, an amount of Rs4 billion has been earmarked for the Progeny Testing Programme (PTP) in order to improve genetic potential and breed quality.
\n\u201cSchemes for the production of sex-sorted semen of indigenous breeds \u2014 Nili Ravi buffalo, Sahiwal, and Cholistani cattle \u2014 for animals registered under the PTP are underway,\u201d Dr Khaliq Shafee, Director of the Punjab Livestock Department, told Wealth Pakistan<\/a>. He noted that unchecked crossbreeding with exotic breeds has severely affected indigenous livestock, resulting in unpredictable genetic traits and compromised physical characteristics.
\nPunjab is home to approximately 500,000 Sahiwal cattle and 2-2.5 million Cholistani cattle, while the Nili Ravi buffalo population ranges between 13 and 15 million.
\nDr Shafee said the programme is being implemented in collaboration with the Sahiwal Cattle Breeders Society and the Buffalo Breeders Association. Key interventions include establishing breed conservation units, expanding the PTP, a Bull Dam (bull mother) scheme, and structured breeding and bull selection based on lactation performance exceeding 3,000 litres.
\nThe project is being executed by institutions, including the Buffalo Research Institute in Pattoki, the Livestock Production Research Institute Bahadurnagar (Okara), and the Research Centre for Conservation of Indigenous Breeds in Jhang.
\nBreeders have welcomed the initiative, describing it as an important step towards revitalising Pakistan\u2019s indigenous livestock sector and unlocking its long-term potential.
\n\u201cWhile this project comes at a crucial stage, it opens significant opportunities to fully harness the strength of our indigenous breeds,\u201d Dr Muhammad Imran Basharat, Director Technical at the Sahiwal Cow Breeders Society told Wealth Pakistan<\/a>.
\nHe noted that with the right commercial framework and improved use of genetic resources, Pakistan can significantly enhance breed quality and productivity. \u201cThere is strong potential to further refine breeding systems, including better identification of superior bull dams to develop high-quality breeding stock,\u201d he said.
\nDr Basharat emphasised that adopting cooperative livestock and dairy farming models can play a transformative role in ensuring sustainable growth of the sector. He also pointed out that recent market fluctuations, including those linked to trade dynamics with Afghanistan, highlight the need for stronger market structures that can better support livestock farmers and stabilise returns.
\nAccording to him, Pakistan retains valuable high-yielding animals, including Nili Ravi buffalo producing around 4,000 litres annually and Sahiwal cows about 3,500 litres, offering a solid foundation for future growth.
\nHe underscored the importance of promoting best practices in livestock management, noting that improved regulatory oversight can help protect animal health, fertility and long-term productivity.
\n\u201cIndigenous breeds remain highly cost-effective and well-suited to Pakistan\u2019s climate,\u201d he said, adding that their natural resilience makes them key to sustainable dairy production.
\nHe also highlighted growing international interest in Sahiwal breed semen and embryos in countries such as Bangladesh, Kenya and Sri Lanka, stressing that developing export systems can open new revenue streams for Pakistan\u2019s livestock sector<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LAHORE, Mar 25 (ABC): The Punjab government has launched an initiative to preserve and promote indigenous livestock breeds including the Sahiwal cow and the Nili Ravi buffalo. Out of the total allocation of Rs20 billion under Punjab Herd Transformation to Enhance Livestock Productivity programme, an amount of Rs4 billion has been earmarked for the Progeny […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":5761,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[886],"class_list":["post-5760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan","tag-punjab-launches-initiative-to-promote-indigenous-livestock-breeds"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailytimes.net.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5760","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailytimes.net.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailytimes.net.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailytimes.net.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailytimes.net.pk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5760"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailytimes.net.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5760\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5762,"href":"https:\/\/dailytimes.net.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5760\/revisions\/5762"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailytimes.net.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailytimes.net.pk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailytimes.net.pk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailytimes.net.pk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}