The Socio-economic Joint Working Group under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will finance the Sindh government with Rs 5.7 billion to help promote livestock, dairy, and meat value chain businesses in the province.
The project will have three components including ‘sustainable support for establishing dairy value chain’, ‘meat value chain’ and ‘enabling support system for dairy, meat and livestock products’. The livestock and fisheries department Sindh through the Socio-economic Joint Working Group under the CPEC will sponsor the project to be completed within 5 years’ time.
Loaning under the CPEC
The Sindh government has sought the nod of the Planning Commission for the concept clearance proposal submitted by the Sindh government for obtaining a loan under the CPEC. Under the proposed plan, a China loan of Rs. 5.735 billion will be obtained for the purpose.
As per the instant proposal under the head of ‘Sustainable Support for Establishing Dairy Value Chain in Sindh’, the existing dairy value chain would be strengthened. The dairy value chain under the livestock component of the Sindh Agricultural Growth Project was implemented in 10 districts of Sindh and 1 53 milk potential clusters as milk-producing groups were formed and milk collection centers were established under the project. This led to 28.6 percent raise in milk production and increased milk business up to 60.6 percent, according to the documents.
Under the Meat Value Chain component of the project, farmers will be provided incentives to expand meat production by adopting appropriate production and health technologies at the farm level.
The ‘Enabling Support System for Dairy Meat and Livestock Products’, component aims at providing the enabling environment to quality meat, and milk production and value chain management by providing regulatory, monitoring, and technical & accreditation regime. Under this component, existing regulatory framework regimes, veterinary support and services will be revised.
Project Objectives include replicating dairy value chain for milk collection to larger scale, increasing meat production and quality in 15 districts of Sindh, and revising existing regulatory framework regimes to provide a supportive environment to milk and meat production and the value chain. Period of implementation of the project is 5 years.
However, the technical section of the Planning Commission, in its comments said that a federal government national project titled “Calf feedlot fattening in Pakistan” at a cost of Rs.680.410 million and Sindh government project Fattening of Calves at Rs. 222.1 10 million are under implementation which is a duplication of Meat Value Chain component of the instant project. It suggested that the sponsor may avoid duplication in this regard. Similarly, the feedlot fattening project is more of a private sector subject; therefore, this component may be removed from the project, the planning commission suggested further.
