Balochistan has about 2.3 million cows and 300,000 buffaloes. Some of the local cow types are good for making milk, like the Red Sindhi, while others like the Bhag Nari and Lohani are better for pulling heavy things. In the last few years, farmers have brought in about 5,000 cows from Europe that are really good at making milk. They’ve also mixed these European cows with local ones to create about 150,000 new cows that can produce more milk than the old ones.
Even with all these animals, Balochistan still does not make enough milk for everyone who lives there. This is because of a few problems. The animals do not always get enough good food or water, and there are not enough doctors to keep them healthy. Also, many farmers do not know the best ways to take care of their animals to get more milk. As more people move to cities and want to buy milk, this problem is getting bigger.
Around the big city of Quetta, there are now more than 500 farms with lots of cows and buffaloes making milk for people in the town. These farms have more than 25,000 buffaloes and 5,000 cows. People milk these animals twice a day by hand and sell the milk right away. But there’s a problem: the milk does not stay cold, so it can go bad quickly and make people sick.
Balochistan has some other animals that could help make more milk, like camels and goats. Camels can make a lot of milk, even when it’s boiling and dry outside. Some camels can make up to 22 liters of milk every day! Goats are also good at making milk in places where it’s hard for cows to live.
To make things better, people in Balochistan are trying a few things. They are bringing in better cows from other places and mixing them with local cows to make new cows that can produce more milk. They are also teaching farmers better ways to take care of their animals. Some people think that using camels and goats for milk could really help, especially when it’s too hot for cows to make much milk.
For the future, there are some excellent ideas to help make more milk in Balochistan. In the short term, they want to give animals better food and medicine, which could help them make 50% more milk. They also want to send more animal doctors to villages to help keep the animals healthy. In the long term, they want to keep mixing different types of cows to make even better milk-making cows. They also want to use some government land to make big farms where they can raise excellent cows.
Another idea is to make special farms where they can take care of old cows and buffaloes that don’t make milk anymore. This way, farmers will not have to sell these animals for meat. They also want to make places where they can keep milk cold and clean so it does not go bad before people can buy it.
If Balochistan can fix these problems and use these good ideas, they could make a lot more the countryside and depend on their animals to make a living.
Making these changes will not be easy, and it will take a long time. But if everyone works together – farmers, government workers, and scientists – they can make big improvements in how much milk Balochistan produces.
One of the biggest challenges is the weather in Balochistan. It’s scorched in most places, which makes it hard for the animals to grow food. People are trying to find plants that can grow with less water and still be good food for cows and buffaloes. They are also looking for better ways to save and use water so that there’s enough for the animals to drink.
Another problem is that many farms are small and far apart from each other. This makes it hard to get milk from farms and go to cities where people want to buy it. Some people think that if farmers work together in groups, they can share the cost of trucks to carry the milk and machines to keep it cold. This way, more of the milk will stay fresh and can be sold in stores.
Education is also critical. Many farmers in Balochistan have been raising animals the same way for a long time. They might not know about new ways to take care of cows that can help them make more milk. The government and some organizations are trying to teach farmers these new methods. They’re showing them how to keep their animals healthy, how to feed them the right foods, and how to milk them in ways that get the most milk and keep it clean.
Some people in Balochistan are getting excited about using camels for milk. Camels are tough animals that can live in arid places where cows have a hard time. They can go for a long time without water and still make milk. Right now, not many people in cities drink camel milk, but some experts think it could become more popular if people learn about how healthy it is.
Goats are another animal that could help make more milk in Balochistan. They are smaller than cows and can eat plants that cows can not. This means they can live in rocky or hilly areas where there is not much grass. Goat milk is also very nutritious, and some people who can not drink cow milk can drink goat milk instead.
To make all these improvements, Balochistan needs to build more places where farmers can get help. This includes laboratories where they can check if the milk is safe and clean, and places where they can get medicine for their animals. They also need more schools where young people can learn about modern farming and how to take care of animals in the best way.
The government is thinking about making some new rules to help the milk business grow. For example, they might give farmers money to help them buy better cows or build places to keep milk cold. They are also thinking about ways to make sure the milk people buy in stores is safe and healthy.
animals. It could also mean that Balochistan will not have to buy as much milk from other places, which would save money.
In the end, making more milk in Balochistan is about more than just having enough to drink. It’s about helping people in the countryside make a better living. It’s about using the land and animals in intelligent ways that do not hurt the environment. And it’s about making sure that as more people move to cities, there’s enough healthy food for everyone.
In conclusion, the journey to improve Balochistan’s dairy production is more than just about milk – it’s about nurturing growth, fostering independence, and building a sustainable future for all its people. As the province takes steps towards this goal, it’s not just changing its dairy industry but potentially changing the course of its future for the better.
Article written by Faryal Baloch, an independent researcher.
