The Green Corporate Livestock Initiative (GCLI) was established in January 2024 under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to promote agriculture in Pakistan.
GCLI aims to address critical challenges in Pakistan’s livestock sector, including food security and reduced imports, by introducing modern technologies and methods. GCLI aims to enhance productivity and ensure sustainable development in this sector through the establishment of semen labs, in vitro fertilization (IVF) labs and animal genetic research centres, thereby empowering livestock farmers and improving their quality of life, which will contribute to national food security and economic prosperity. GCLI is bridging the gap between traditional farming and modern practices.
Pakistan’s total livestock population consists of 102.2 million cattle and buffaloes, 119.7 million small ruminants and 2.065 billion poultry. Sixty percent of the population is engaged in agriculture and livestock, with 90% of livestock owned by small farmers. The livestock sector contributes 14.36 percent to the national GDP and more than 62% to agricultural GDP. This sector is the only one that saw a 4.9% growth in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2025, while the fishing sector accounts for only one percent of the national GDP, despite its annual exports reaching 496 million dollars.
Despite producing 65.8 billion litters of milk annually, Pakistan’s dairy sector faces significant challenges. The average milk yield per animal is only six litters, far below India’s 8.5, China’s 20 and the USA’s 30 litters. If this gap is narrowed and each animal’s production increases by just one litter, it could boost GDP by 1%, generating $4.4 billion in export income. With growing demand for meat, milk and leather, the sector holds immense investment potential. However, 90% of farmers are smallholders with low-yielding animals and limited access to modern techniques, making them vulnerable to diseases. To address this, GCLI is creating a modern livestock ecosystem in collaboration with private investors, government and experts. The initiative aims to empower farmers, improve productivity and foster a sustainable, prosperous future for Pakistan.
With backing from private investors, GCLI has developed 1,000 acres in Rakh Ghula-man (Bhakkar) for advanced livestock farming, where 2,800 high-quality breed animals will be raised. Modern animal sheds, advanced infrastructure and an IVF lab for breeding will be established. A dairy farm consisting of 2,400 animals is being developed on 741 acres in Klor Kot (Bhakkar). In Jugjit Pur (Bahawalpur), 4,200 acres of desert land are being transformed into a modern livestock farming hub where 30,000 animals will be kept. GCLI is also working on the rehabilitation of government livestock farms through public-private partnerships. This initiative includes modernizing the livestock infrastructure under a 30-year lease.
The Grass Root Incentivised Dairy Development (GRIDD) program is currently active in 40 districts, with 25,000 farmers already registered. To empower women in the livestock sector, 1,300 women have been trained as livestock farmers, while five women have been equipped to serve as agents for milk collection centres, enhancing their role in the dairy value chain. To modernize breeding practices and enhance the genetic potential of livestock, the National HERD Transformation Campaign has been launched. A state-of-the-art IVF laboratory has been established in Okara. In partnership with ST Genetics, this laboratory will produce 500,000 seeded semen straws annually and has the capacity to generate 30,000 embryos each year. Farmers can keep their animals at the laboratory for up to three months.
The integration of seeded semen and IVF technologies marks the beginning of a new era in livestock breeding and genetic improvement in Pakistan, paving the way for a prosperous future for both farmers and the nation. Superior open and high breeds have been obtained from the Livestock Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to ensure breeding preservation in Okara. On April 29, 2024, the National Tech and Traceability Drive was also launched, which is linked to an online application where farmers can register their livestock. Tagging helps farmers maintain detailed records of each animal’s health, breeding and production. Over 86,000 animals have been tagged and more than 11,000 centres have been registered.
To prevent livestock diseases, a comprehensive control campaign has been launched with assistance from Novartis, a leading American pharmaceutical company, to establish a state-of-the-art vaccine production centre. This will help close a gap of 158 million servings and improve disease control nationwide. Additionally, fishing is a significant economic asset for Pakistan. In 2023, the country exported 0.665 million tons of marine fish, ranking 33rd globally in production and 46th in exports. The fishing sector contributes 0.87% to GDP and provides approximately 400,000 jobs. In 2023, 0.309 million metric tons of fish were produced from key water bodies, including the Indus River and various lakes, contributing 0.4% to GDP.
To enhance the competitiveness of the aquaculture sector, significant tax relief measures were introduced in the 2024/25 budget. The duty on fish seed was reduced from 37% to 30.5%, shrimp feed from 60% to 30.5%, and the duty on fish and shrimp broodstock from 60% to 30.5%. The customs duty on aquaculture products was decreased from 50% to 28.5%. Cage fish farming has been promoted across the country. Currently, 1,750 cages are being stored, with plans to increase this number to 5,000 by June 2025. Among the notable achievements of GCLI is the formulation of Pakistan’s first Marine and Inland Aquaculture Policy, which provides a comprehensive national framework and strategy for the development of aquatic agriculture and aquaculture, marking a historic step towards modernizing the sector.
—The writer is Chairman, Tehrik Jawanan Pakistan.
(abdullahhamidgul1@gmail.com)
