A vast majority of the population in Musakhel is involved in livestock raising. Also the population involved in agriculture and horticulture raise cattle and small ruminants to fulfil their milk and meat requirements. The only livestock data available about Musakhel district is of the 1986 livestock census.

The size of herds varies from one hundred to 150 heads of small ruminants and 5-20 cattle. Other animals like horses, donkeys, and camels are also raised. The livestock farmers follow a regular pattern of seasonal migration. Livestock raising communities live throughout the district, specially in the mountainous areas of Musakhel valley, Drug and Toisar. The majority of the households owns a couple of cows, a pair of bullocks or a camel for ploughing, sometimes a donkey as a beast of burden and several sheep and goats. Poultry is also raised by a vast majority of the households. However, poultry is not an organised sector in Musakhel.

Mostly the women and children graze their animals. Women help feeding animals at home if fodder is available and do the milking. By grazing the animals women and children share in the economic burden of the household. On the other hand, it deprives the children of getting an education that is a basic constitutional right of every child.

People in Musakhel raise cows for their milk production. Buffaloes are relatively rare. Bullocks and camels are raised for farming as well as for fulfilling nutritional needs. The meat from these animals is not only consumed locally, but in neighbouring districts as well. According to an estimate, local consumption amounts to 3,016 pieces of cattle per month. Hides are sold on the market to retailers, who send it to Karachi and various district of Punjab for processing. No organised marketing system is present. Infrastructure for meat production is lacking too.

Sheep and goats constitute an overwhelming majority of the livestock population. Even agricultural households have considerable herds of small ruminants. These are raised throughout the district, as there are enough pasture lands in Musakhel. Sheep and goats are raised for multiple purposes like milk, mutton, and their wool and hides. Apart form the meat, their hides and wool give reasonable income to the owner. In Musakhel, at average, 5,500 sheep and 2,250 goats are estimated to be slaughtered every month.

No poultry farm has yet been reported in Musakhel. However, almost all of the households keep some poultry birds for their domestic needs and sometimes women sell the surplus birds in the town’s bazaar, either directly or through a middleman. If essential training and a marketing network were provided, women of the area could raise poultry birds on a large scale and could probably generate considerable additional income through this activity.

Major diseases prevalent among livestock in Musakhel include entero-toximia, anthrax, sheep pox, PPLO, foot and mouth, black quarter, intestinal worms, surra, piroplasmosis and diseases caused by external parasites. Prophylactic vaccination is carried out after regular intervals through veterinary hospitals and dispensaries. The vaccination fee policy has changed over the years, resulting in fluctuations in the vaccination coverage. This in turn results in high mortality. At present, the exact mortality rates are not known.

At present, there are 2 veterinary hospitals and 66 dispensaries in Musakhel district. Artificial insemination is available at Musakhel hospital only. There may be a few private outlets selling veterinary medicine, but most of the people consult the government facilities. Presently, 75 percent of the total treatment cost is charged from the livestock owners. It is planned to let them pay the full 100 percent in the near future. Vaccination was free in 1993-94, but in 1994-95 a fee of two rupees per vaccination was imposed. Since the government made it free again in 1995-96, the rate of vaccination is on the increase (see Annex 7). A sum of Rs. 10,768 was received by the Department in 1995-96 on account of animal treatment. In order to provide veterinary services to people living in far flung areas, mobile camps are also organised in winter season.

In Musakhel, the Department of Livestock Development is supervised by an Assistant Director stationed at Loralai. The staff of the Department in Musakhel district include one veterinary officer and 20 stock assistants. The Department is responsible for providing veterinary treatment facilities and for collection of livestock data.

The provincial government provides veterinary services and, to some extent, input supplies while price setting and marketing is done by the private sector.

The landscape of the district is characterised by pasture areas. Livestock farming is still one of the major economic activities. Livestock farming can take the form of an organised sector if the government would provide more effective guidance and veterinary services along with easily accessible credit. Small ruminants are preferred by most of the people, though cows and other animals are also kept. Agricultural development may result in better fodder crops and, consequently, in increased livestock farming.

Women play a major role in livestock activities, from grazing, preparing fodder, cleaning abodes and milk processing to cleaning hides and skins. In small ruminant rearing, women rear chickens and sell their eggs. The women’s role in livestock is not just sharing the burden of work, but also sharing the economic burden. However, this usually is overlooked and taken for granted. Moreover there are no training and credit facilities available to develop their potential further and to make the burden of work lighter and income productive.

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