Punjab has moved to scale up its livestock economy into a structured export-oriented industry, with a target set to export one million animals under a broader reform agenda led by Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif. The initiative follows the signing of memoranda of understanding with seven entities, including a Chinese global meat company, aimed at boosting meat exports from the province. At the centre of the export framework is a planned installation of a boiler unit in Punjab by the Chinese meat company in partnership with PAMCO, enabling large-scale production of boiled meat for international markets.
Officials said meat exporters are expected to source animals drawn from around 300,000 livestock earmarked for export processing. The production pipeline has been structured around a staged livestock mobilisation plan, including fattening of 300,000 buffaloes and cattle, alongside 300,000 sheep and rams, while another 100,000 goats and sheep will be raised specifically for export supply chains. The export strategy and sector reforms were reviewed in a special video-link meeting chaired by the chief minister, where key approvals were granted, including a decision to double the quota for distributing free livestock to rural women.
The meeting also included a briefing by Provincial Minister for Livestock Ashiq Hussain Kirmani on ongoing interventions. A major shift highlighted in the briefing is the planned introduction of mechanisation into livestock farming for the first time in Punjab. The government will provide subsidies of up to 60 percent on livestock machinery, covering milk chillers, mixing machines, milk can coolers, weighing scales, feed mixers and pilot machines.
Alongside commercial restructuring, social support interventions are being expanded. In South Punjab, 9,255 animals have already been distributed free among widowed and divorced women across 12 districts. The province is also moving ahead with tagging of two million animals and subsidised provision of two million semen doses to strengthen breeding and productivity.
On the service delivery side, the chief minister has directed the establishment of state-of-the-art veterinary hospitals at the tehsil level. Complementing this, four mobile veterinary dispensaries per tehsil will operate to extend treatment services directly into villages. Officials also reported disease control progress, noting no cases of haemorrhagic septicaemia or lumpy skin disease have been recorded since 2022, including after recent floods.
Vaccine cost comparisons were also presented, with imported lumpy skin disease vaccine priced at Rs300, while a locally produced option is available at Rs30. The chief minister, while reviewing the framework, noted that past neglect of the livestock sector was regrettable and stressed that livestock farming remains a critical driver of rural economic self-reliance and income generation.