ISLAMABAD: The government has set a target to produce about 5.219 million tons of meat during next fiscal year in order to meet with domestic requirements as well as for exporting.
During the period under review, about 2.4 million tons of beef to be produced, whereas mutton production targets were fixed at 782,000 tons to tackle with the local consumption, according to an official document issued here Sunday.
The domestic meat output during current fiscal year witnessed about 5.2 percent growth as local production of above mentioned commodity reached to 3.303 million tons as against the output of 3.139 million tons of same period of last year, it added.
Beef production grew by 3.4 percent and mutton 2.3 percent respectively as 2.461 million tons of beef and 782,000 tons of mutton produced during the period under review as compared the output of same period of last year, it said.
The poultry production targets for fiscal year 2021-22 were fixed at 1.997 million tons as the output of poultry registered with about 9.2 percent growth during out going fiscal year, it added.
During the period from July-February, the poultry output was recorded at 1.206 million tons as compared the output of 1.105 million tons of the year 2019-20.
In order to promote agriculture and develop the livestock sectors, several projects and programs are envisaged to improve food and agriculture sector such as Prime Minister’s Agriculture Emergency Program, establishment of Food Security Information System (FSIS) and Agriculture Transformation Plan.
The government has also proposed special initiatives for the development of agriculture sector and prosperity of farming community in the country, as special emphasis is being paid on small land holders up to 12.5 acres.
In this regard, banking sector in the country was mobilized to extend credit facilities to far flung areas to provide cheap loans to growers, particularly small land holdings to enhance agriculture output and alleviate poverty.
The government was intended that every farming household would be provided Rs 250,000 interest free loan for purchasing agriculture inputs and Rs 200,000 for the purchasing tractor and other machinery to bring innovation and technological advancement in local agriculture sector.
To discourage the role of middle man and exploitation of farmers, marketing infrastructure would also be developed and improved, besides giving incentives and extending supports to farmers for establishing storage facilities that would also ensure proper rate of return to growers.
The development of marketing services, cold storage facilities and building strategic reserves of food commodities would also help curb the menace of hoardings, artificial shortage of food commodities and practice of extra profiteering that would lead the country towards price stabilization in local markets.