Panjgur is one of the moderate livestock raising areas in Makran division. The areas of Gichk and Shahbaz Kalat, to the north-west of Panjgur, are major small ruminant raising areas in the district. The sub-tehsil Parome is predominantly livestock raising area. The livestock census figures for 1986 are discrepant with the other two census figures, i.e., those from 1976 and the preliminary ones from 1996. In the last ten years, an overall increase of more than 35 percent in Livestock Units has been reported in the draft 1996 census report. The most significant increase has been observed in the population of sheep, while the population of draught animals has decreased. The 1996 figures are approximately consistent with those of the Livestock Census 1976. The statistical depression of livestock in 1986 is difficult to explain. This fluctuation seems to be a result of unreliable data collection and inefficient supervision during the census process.

Livestock farmers own herds of more than one hundred heads of small ruminants and they have regular pattern of seasonal migration. The livestock raising communities live in mountainous areas, like Gowargo, Grawag, Washap, Shahbaz Kalat, Drakop and Gichk, which are not easily accessible by road. Apart from the livestock farming household, all the agricultural households in Panjgur raise different animals. An average household 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. Horses were kept by a vast majority of landowners about two decades ago with the advent of motorcycles the horse population has drastically reduced. Now an insignificant number of landowners own horses. Poultry is raised by a vast majority of the households but mortality rate is reported to be very high and discouraging.

Although women in less populated areas graze their animals, mostly the children are livestock grazers. Women help with feeding the animals at home if fodder is available. This itself is a tedious and time consuming task. By grazing the animals children share economic burden of the household. Although this may not be called child labour, still it deprives the children of schooling which is a basic constitutional right of every child.

Among the different types of cattle cows are the most raised in Panjgur and are a major source of milk production. Buffaloes are relatively rare. Bullocks and camels are raised for farming and to fulfil nutritional needs of the area. Beef of cattle is not only consumed locally; cattle is sent to other areas also for slaughtering. According to an estimate, local consumption amounts to 138 cattle per month. These statistics are for Panjgur proper while there is no record of slaughtering in other areas. Hides are sold in the open market at Panjgur to the retailers and afterwards sent to Karachi for processing. Cattle are marketed through a mandi (market) which commences every week.

There are a few dairy farms one of which is owned by the government. The government dairy farm has 37 dairy cattle, mostly cows, and produces about 2,150 litres of milk every month. Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan has issued loans to two of the private dairy farms. These farms intend to expand their business with the help of this loan. One of these dairy farms is at Khudabadan. At present, it has 6 cows and is producing 40-45 litres of milk per day. The monthly expenditure on feed and medicine for cattle is about 9 thousand rupees while monthly income through sale of milk is about 25 thousand rupees. The total seed money spent on purchase of land and construction of shed amounts to 0.35 million rupees. This farm has the capacity to accommodate 40-45 cattle. The owners have borrowed a loan from the Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan and are planning to expand their farm.

Sheep and goats constitute an overwhelming majority of the livestock population. Even agricultural households have tens of small ruminants. These are raised mostly in un-irrigated areas where range land provides pasture. Sheep and goats are raised for multiple purposes like milk, mutton, and money. In Panjgur proper, at the average, 1,837 sheep and 1,973 goats are estimated to be slaughtered every month.

There are a few poultry farms in Panjgur but the major part of poultry requirement is met through illegal import of poultry birds from Iran. According to local resources about 45 thousand birds are locally raised every month in the private sector. At present the government poultry farm at Chitkan has 2,500 birds. It is difficult for government poultry farm to compete in the market because of procedural hurdles. Annual income of the government poultry farm is about 0.15 million rupees.

Major diseases prevalent among livestock in Panjgur are long worm, wire worm, liver fluke, pelorononenia, and mange. People are not very much considerate about diseases of their stocks. Again lack of road links and unavailability of veterinary services at union council level results in high livestock mortality. However exact mortality rates are not known.

At present only one veterinary hospital is functional in Panjgur district at Chitkan. Previously there have been 6 veterinary dispensaries which have presently decreased to 4, at Tasp, Gichk, Khudabadan and Parome. As these are the only veterinary health outlets in the district, change in fee policy affects animal treatment to a great extent. Presently, 50 percent of the total treatment cost is charged to livestock owners. It is planned to be raised up to 75 percent in 1997-98 and to 100 percent in 1998-99. The vaccination was free in 1993-94 but in 1994-95 a fee of two rupees per vaccination was imposed. This policy resulted in decreased livestock vaccination. Therefore the government made it free again in 1995-96. Now the rate of vaccination is again increasing (see Annex 7). A sum of 10,768 rupees 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. An Artificial Insemination Centre and a Disease Investigation Laboratory Unit are not available in the district.

In Panjgur, the Department of Livestock Development is supervised by an Assistant Director. The total staff strength of the department is 53 which includes four veterinary officers also. The department is responsible for providing veterinary treatment facilities, running dairy and poultry farms, and collection of livestock data.

The provincial government is providing veterinary services and, to some extent, input supplies while price setting and marketing is done by the private sector. The federal government is providing credit services through the Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan which has facilitated and enabled people for livestock farm development.

Pasture lands have once been characteristic of Panjgur but now the whole area seems devoid of any considerable vegetation. New occupations and urbanisation have decreased interest in livestock farming. Economically the livestock sector is currently of little importance for Panjgur. However, a considerable proportion of the population is still involved in this activity. The role of women in livestock has not been made visible yet.

 Livestock farming can develop into an organised sector if the government provides more effective guidance and veterinary services along with easily payable credit. Mostly small ruminants are preferred by most of the people and only a few cows or other dairy animals are kept by households. The major reason behind this trend is unavailability of fodder. Agricultural development may result in better fodder crops and, consequently, in increased cattle farming.

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