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Balochistan announces

relief package for

drought-hit herdsmen

QUETTA: Balochistan Livestock Minister Sardar Wazir Ahmed Jogezai has said that the government is fully alive to the situation caused by scant rain during the season and has prepared a relief package for herdsmen including provision of interest free loans.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Jogezai said that the Balochistan Governor pre-empting the problem had directed the Livestock Department for preparing a package well in time. In the light of these instructions the department prepared a relief package for 2,000 cattle breeders of the province while another package of the same size would be prepared soon.

Under this package six-week ration was estimated for a herd of 50 pregnant sheep. The ration would provide 11 percent proteins to the animals and would meet the food shortage in them and would also be beneficial for their offsprings as it would increase milking ability for them.

Giving details of the division-wise distribution programme for the relief package, the minister informed that animal food would be provided to 250 herdsmen in Quetta division, to 650 herdsmen in Kalat division, 650 in Zhob division, 250 in Sibi division, 100 in Naseerabad division and 100 in Mekran division.

The animal ration would be restricted to cattle owners who have 50 to 60 animals in their herds and were solely dependent on herding. The deserving herdsmen had been selected with the help of respective district administrations.

Jogezai told newsmen that according to information reaching here the areas suffering from complete animal food shortage included Kharan, Bsima and Chagai district which the areas suffering from less food were Kalat, Khuzdar, Surba, parts of Gulistan, Quetta, Qila Saifullah, Muslim Bagh, Loralai and Barkhan. Under the second package free fodder would be supplied by the end of the current month.

Besides, the provincial government on Monday last decided to issue interest-free loans to herdsmen. Under this package herdsmen having 1,000 goats/sheeps and above would be provided Rs. 50,000 upto 500 Rs. 25,000 and upto 100 Rs. 10,000 for purchase of fodder. The loan could not be used for other purposes. He said around Rs. 10 million would be allocated for the purpose.

He also stated that the Governor during his recent visit to Punjab raised the problem of animal food shortage and Governor Punjab very generously ordered to supply 500 tonnes of fodder to Balochistan. The minister hope that 500 tonnes more food would arrive from Punjab for free distribution among herdsmen.

The minister said the Governor had also informed the federal government about the shortage of fodder and informed the federal government would also announce a relief package for them.

Replying to a question, he said the government would allocate funds for developing range land in the province.

Replying to another question, he said there was no problem of flour shortage in any corner of the province. Unicef would also provide necessary assistance for the welfare of women and children.

To a question, he said some 450,000 people were attached to herding profession in the province while the number of sheep/goat here was 27 million and formed 47 percent of total goats and 24 percent of total sheep of the country.

He also informed that due to increase in number of cattle, there was 30 percent animal food shortage in the province but the drought worsened the situation.ÑAPP