PESHAWAR, Jul 15 (APP):While many of Pakistan’s educated youth still chase the elusive dream of a government job, 26-year-old Sohail Khan from Mohibanda village, nestled along the scenic banks of the River Kabul in Nowshera district, took a bold step toward self-reliance by investing in livestock farming.
“I remained jobless for just three months after graduation,” Sohail chuckled while speaking to APP. “On my father Sardar Khan’s advice, who sold a piece of land for me, I established a model livestock farm on two acres and I have never looked back.”
Today, Sohail runs a thriving cattle farm and supplies fresh milk to various parts of Peshawar, generating a stable income for his family and providing employment to five workers.
His story is a testament to the life-changing potential of livestock entrepreneurship, especially when combined with targeted government support.
Sohail’s success is not an isolated case but part of a broader transformation taking root in rural and peri-urban areas across Pakistan fueled by the Federal Government’s strategic investment in livestock and dairy development.
Under the umbrella of the National Agriculture Programme,a Rs 309.7 billion initiative—three flagship projects are playing a pivotal role in poverty alleviation and boosting meat and milk production:
These projects include Save the Calf Project worth Rs1,554 million, Feedlot Fattening Programme of Rs 826 million and Poverty Alleviation through Development of Rural Poultry of Rs 834 million.
Together, these programs are delivering key support to farmers and marginalized groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), including the newly merged tribal districts, offering everything from cash incentives and free vaccines to training and infrastructure support.
One of the standout initiatives, the Save the Calf Project, has had a transformative effect on KP’s meat production landscape.
Dr Aftab Ahmad, Director Livestock KP said the programs has successfully fattened about 120,000 male buffalo calves, helping stabilize meat prices in the province.
“Farmers received Rs 6,500 per calf after six months of rearing, along with 10 kg of milk replacers and essential vaccines,” Dr Aftab explained.
“Around 30,000 calves are fattened annually, with farmers encouraged to register animals aged 15 days to one month.”
The initiative, with a Rs1,243 million contribution from the KP Government and Rs135 million from the Federal Government, is showing strong uptake among livestock owners in all 35 districts of the province.
Registered farmers with at least 15 calves also received fodder choppers, free training, and Rs4,000 per animal after a successful three-month fattening cycle.
Parallel to the cattle sector, the National Poultry Project is empowering thousands of women like Shaheen Bibi, a 55-year-old mother of four from Nowshera. She received poultry birds from the Livestock and Dairy Development Department under the government’s initiative.
“Out of 10 hens, I get about eight eggs daily. Three are used at home and the rest are sold at Rs30 each,” said Shaheen, who now earns substantial revenue without any feeding costs.
She operates her modest poultry venture on the roof of her 10-marla house and also rears a cow supporting her retired husband and ensuring her children’s educational needs and household expenses.
Work on five new mega projects including genetic improvement through cross breeding of quality breed, community meat and dairy development project, establishment of veterinary dispensaries in rented buildings, establishment of environmentally controlled poultry housing shed systems and setting up state-of the- art veterinary university completed.
Dr Aftab said planning of environmentally controlled poultry housing/sheds project launched while livestock Survey completed in KP and statistics revealed an increase in number of Azakheli buffalos in Malakand division courtesy to successful implementation of Azakheli buffaloes’ conservation project.
Early, these buffaloes mostly found in Madain and Khawazakhel have been declared endangered after a substantial number died during devastated floods,.resultantly, the meat and milk production besides income of poor people has been adversely affected in different districts of Malakand division.
The experts said cooperation of masses and district administration was imperative to counter challenges of milks’ adulteration, processing and marketing, genetic and breed improvement of different livestock besides checking prices and quality of meat in open markets to consumers at affordable rate.
