Pakistan’s agriculture sector is currently under severe climatic stress, and within this context, the livestock and dairy sector is both highly vulnerable and full of opportunities. Livestock is not only the backbone of the rural economy but also a primary source of livelihood for millions of families. At the same time, this sector is a major source of greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide, primarily due to poor feed, intestinal fermentation, unregulated manure, and low productivity systems. Rising temperatures, water scarcity, and extreme weather events are already affecting milk production and reproductive efficiency.

The biggest failure in Pakistan’s livestock and dairy sector is the significant gap between research, education, policy, and practical implementation. Veterinary universities, faculties, and livestock departments often fail to translate research into practical field solutions, preventing farmers from adopting modern, climate-sensitive methods. Smallholders remain constrained by poor feed, limited financial resources, weak technical support, and uncoordinated policies. This failure results in reduced productivity and increased environmental emissions, undermining national climate policy goals.

Therefore, climate action in livestock and dairy production is not just necessary—it is urgent. It entails adopting practices across the livestock value chain that reduce emissions, enhance productivity, increase farmers’ income, optimize resource use, and strengthen animal health, resilience, and herd sustainability, even under extreme climatic conditions. Climate action is a comprehensive strategy that ensures environmentally friendly production, income security for farmers, energy savings, and better use of natural resources.

Another major weakness is that small farmers and field staff lack access to modern scientific methods, training, and support. Poor genetics, substandard feed, disease burden, and insufficient extension services not only reduce productivity but also increase emissions per liter of milk or per kilogram of meat. These failures limit the sector’s overall productivity and climate resilience.

According to available data, Pakistan has approximately 18 veterinary institutions producing 1,800–2,000 graduates annually, while the current capacity of public sector veterinary services and access to modern technologies remains insufficient. This indicates that the public sector cannot absorb all graduates effectively, leaving many young veterinary professionals either unemployed or confined to limited private sector roles. This situation clearly highlights the need for livestock departments and veterinary institutions to create more jobs so that graduates can work effectively in field services, veterinary clinics, vaccination campaigns, climate-sensitive livestock programs, and digital reporting systems. Such measures would not only generate employment for young professionals but also help Pakistan achieve its climate-smart livestock and dairy sector goals.

Reducing methane emissions through feed and nutrition improvements remains one of the most effective strategies. Using high-quality fodder, silage preparation, inclusion of legumes, balanced diets, and timely harvesting improves digestion and boosts productivity. Feed additives and methane-reducing compounds are emerging globally, but in Pakistan, lack of research, cost assessment, and strong supply chains is a clear failure. Similarly, improving genetics and reproductive management can reduce the number of low-performing animals, significantly lowering overall emissions.

Better manure management is another critical opportunity. However, in Pakistan, the lack of organized manure use and biogas plants remains a major gap. Without converting organic matter into biogas in urban and peri-urban dairy centers, methane continues to escape into the environment, and energy potential is wasted.

Animal health, welfare, and environment play a central role in climate resilience, yet insufficient shade, poor ventilation, limited clean water, and untimely veterinary services are clear failures that impact productivity and climate adaptation.

Properly managed grazing lands can provide natural solutions, but unregulated grazing, poor fodder availability, and lack of feed banks remain key failures.

Farmer education is the most crucial pillar. Dairy farmers must be trained in modern fodder preparation, balanced nutrition, methane and greenhouse gas mitigation, animal health, biogas systems, and digital reporting. Only when farmers are informed and trained can technical solutions and policies deliver tangible benefits.

This education and training must be implemented nationwide. Veterinary universities and faculties, provincial livestock departments, the private sector, and farmer organizations must all collaborate. Universities provide research and training, livestock departments offer field services, mobile clinics, vaccination, digital reporting, and extension programs, while the private sector provides technical support and financial resources. Such integrated national implementation will increase productivity and income while reducing emissions, optimizing resources, and improving climate resilience across the livestock and dairy sector.

On a global scale, India has 54 veterinary institutions producing approximately 2,500–3,000 graduates annually, Bangladesh has 13 institutions producing 900–1,000 graduates annually, and the United States has AVMA-accredited universities with advanced research and climate-smart farming systems. This comparison highlights that Pakistan’s current educational and practical systems lag behind international standards and urgently require reform.

Strong coordination between veterinary universities, faculties, livestock departments, and the private sector can lay the foundation for a climate-resilient, productive, and modern livestock and dairy system in Pakistan. Joint research, policy development, field projects, and training of students and farmers can transform the sector into one capable of confronting future climatic risks while remaining globally competitive and sustainable.

Dr. Alamdar Hussain Malik
Advisor Veterinary Sciences,
University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Swat
Former Secretary / Registrar
Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council
Former Financial Adviser,
Finance Division,
Government of Pakistan, Islamabad