Sahiwal cattle – Pakistan’s premier dairy breed known for high milk yield and heat tolerance.
By Harvinder Chandigarh - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
Conservation, Awareness, and Research
Conserving Pakistan’s Native Livestock Breeds: An Economic, Ecological, and Cultural Imperative
Pakistan is home to a rich diversity of livestock breeds – from hardy humped cattle grazing the Punjab plains to sure-footed goats in the northern mountains. These native breeds of cattle, buffalo, goats, and sheep are more than just animals; they are a cornerstone of rural life and a living heritage. However, in the pursuit of higher productivity, Pakistan’s indigenous livestock genetic resources are increasingly under threat. This article explores why conserving native breeds is so important economically, ecologically, and culturally, examines current government policies and their impact, and highlights what more can be done to safeguard these invaluable animals.
Economic Significance of Indigenous Breeds
Livestock plays a vital role in Pakistan’s economy and food security. Over 8 million rural families are engaged in raising livestock, which contributes an estimated 35–40% of their household income. Nationally, the livestock sector now makes up about 60.8% of agricultural value added and 14.6% of Pakistan’s GDP. This includes cattle, buffaloes, goats, sheep and other animals that provide milk, meat, eggs, wool, hides, and draught power. In recent years, Pakistan’s livestock herd has grown steadily – as of 2023, the country has about 57.5 million cattle, 46.3 million buffalo, 87.0 million goats, and 32.7 million sheep in total – a huge asset for the economy.
Significantly, Pakistan’s native breeds form the backbone of this livestock wealth. The country has around 15 recognized breeds of cattle (such as the Sahiwal, Red Sindhi, Cholistani, Tharparkar, Achai and others), five breeds of buffalo (including the famed Nili-Ravi and Kundhi), and dozens of breeds of goats and sheep. In fact, Pakistan is reported to have 36 indigenous goat breeds – from the high-yielding Beetal and Kamori dairy goats to the small hardy “desi” goats kept by landless farmers. Likewise, there may be over 30 distinct sheep breeds adapted to various regions. This genetic diversity has tremendous economic value. Many of these breeds are renowned for specific productive traits: for example, Sahiwal and Red Sindhi cattle are internationally acclaimed tropical dairy breeds known for high milk fat content and heat tolerance, and the Nili-Ravi buffalo is prized for its exceptional milk yield and rich milk used in local dairy products. Pakistan “possesses breeds of livestock that are among the best in the world, with traits of early maturity, climate adaptability, and quality meat” when properly managed.
Crucially, indigenous breeds support the livelihoods of millions of small farmers and pastoralists. In arid and semi-arid areas where crop farming is difficult, livestock rearing is often the only viable source of income. For instance, in the desert region of Tharparkar (Sindh) and the Cholistan desert of Punjab, up to 90% of the local population depends on livestock rearing for survival. These areas are home to hardy native cattle like the Tharparkar (White Sindhi/Kankrej) and Cholistani breeds, which thrive in the harsh climate. Farmers in these regions rely on their cattle, goats and sheep to produce meat and milk that is sold or bartered for other essentials. Even in more temperate zones, owning cows or buffaloes is akin to an insurance policy and a source of daily cash flow (through milk sales) for rural families. In short, the economic well-being of Pakistan’s rural economy is tightly interwoven with its native livestock breeds.
Despite the large number of animals, Pakistan still struggles with gaps in productivity – the country faces periodic meat and milk shortages, and imports dairy products to meet demand. Livestock experts point out that average yields of local breeds are low (a cow may give only 5–6 liters of milk a day) compared to 20–40 liters from specialized breeds abroad, largely due to limited past efforts in systematic breed improvement. This indicates a huge untapped potential: if native breeds were given proper attention, feeding and selective breeding, their productivity could be improved significantly. The economic payoff would be twofold – reducing reliance on costly imports (like powdered milk) and improving farm incomes. As one farmers’ association leader noted, Pakistan has “100 million animals” but needs to invest in developing its indigenous cattle and buffalo breeds instead of simply importing exotic cows or semen. In summary, conserving and improving local breeds is not just about heritage – it makes sound economic sense.
Ecological and Environmental Importance
Beyond economics, native livestock breeds are ecologically invaluable. Over centuries, Pakistan’s cattle, buffaloes, goats and sheep have been naturally or selectively bred to survive and thrive in the country’s diverse landscapes – from scorching deserts and floodplains to mountainous highlands. This makes them highly adapted to local environmental conditions. Indigenous breeds can efficiently utilize the sparse fodder and grazing available in marginal lands where imported high-performance breeds would struggle or perish.
For example, in the rugged Hindu Kush mountains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, small native breeds like the Achai cattle, Azikheli buffalo, and Kari sheep form the backbone of subsistence farming. These animals have evolved the ability to make optimal use of scarce, low-quality forage and navigate rough terrain, all while maintaining good fertility and production under stress. Researchers note that such indigenous mountain breeds have remarkable endurance – they can trek to high alpine pastures in summer, their smaller body size means lower maintenance needs, and they can convert coarse browse into valuable milk, meat and wool for local communities. In fact, when measured relative to body size and feed input, these hardy animals often outperform larger exotic breeds in difficult environments. Simply put, they are nature’s customized solutions for food production in challenging climates.
Similar stories play out in Pakistan’s deserts and semi-arid rangelands. Native Thari (Tharparkar) cattle and Bargi camels of the Thar desert, or the Balochi sheep breeds of Balochistan, can survive on scrub vegetation and tolerate extreme heat and drought. In Cholistan, the Cholistani cattle breed is known for its tolerance to water scarcity and ability to graze on native pastures. According to one report, these desert cattle have high fertility and calving rates, and their calves grow quickly when raised on natural grazing lands with native high-protein grasses. By contrast, exotic cattle or high-producing crossbreds often cannot cope without intensive stall-feeding, ample water, and climate-controlled sheds – inputs that are costly and often impractical across Pakistan’s farmlands.
The ecological significance of conserving native breeds also extends to maintaining biodiversity and resilient agro-ecosystems. Each indigenous breed represents a unique genetic pool finely tuned to a specific habitat. Replacing them with a narrow range of imported breeds could reduce genetic diversity and make the livestock sector more vulnerable to diseases, pests, and climate change. For instance, many local breeds have innate disease resistance or tolerance to local parasites that highly bred foreign animals lack. Losing those genes could mean losing natural defenses against livestock epidemics. Moreover, indigenous livestock often play key roles in the ecosystem – their grazing patterns can help manage vegetation and prevent bush encroachment, their manure cycles nutrients in soils, and they often have lower carbon and water footprints under free-range conditions than intensive commercial breeds do.
In the era of climate change, these hardy breeds might prove to be assets for adaptation. As Pakistan faces rising temperatures, erratic rainfall and more frequent droughts, the traits of native animals – heat tolerance, ability to survive on poor fodder, walking long distances to find feed or water – are invaluable. Conserving them is essentially preserving a living gene bank for food security under changing environmental conditions. Any strategy for sustainable agriculture and climate resilience should therefore include the conservation of indigenous livestock alongside crops.
Cultural and Heritage Value
Livestock are deeply woven into the cultural fabric of Pakistan. For rural communities, farm animals are not impersonal units of production – they are often given names, cared for like family, and hold significant sentimental value. Many indigenous breeds carry the legacy of the communities that developed them, and are a source of regional pride and identity. For example, the Sahiwal cattle take their name from the Sahiwal district and have been a part of Punjabi farming heritage for generations; the Red Sindhi cattle are emblematic of Sindh’s dairy traditions; and breeds like Bhagnari or Dhani cattle are tied to the history of specific tribes and areas. In pastoral societies, owning a fine camel or a strong bull of a local breed elevates one’s status. Even the patterns and colors of certain sheep and goat breeds have made their way into folk art and storytelling.
Traditional festivals and practices also highlight the cultural importance of native breeds. During Eid-ul-Azha (the annual festival of sacrifice), many families specifically seek out handsome local breed animals – whether a Kajli sheep with its distinctive ears or a big Nili-Ravi buffalo – for the Qurbani sacrifice, as a matter of pride and religious devotion. Livestock fairs (such as the historic Sibi Mela in Balochistan or local cattle shows in rural Punjab) celebrate the best indigenous breeds, where farmers proudly parade their finest Sahiwal cows, Makhi Cheeni goats, or Kundhi buffaloes. These fairs are social events that keep rural traditions alive and facilitate exchange of breeding animals.
Moreover, dairy and meat from native livestock are integral to Pakistan’s culinary culture. The creamy milk of the buffalo – the country’s preferred dairy animal – is the source of traditional products like desi ghee (clarified butter), yogurt, lassi and sweets; it’s no coincidence that the Nili-Ravi buffalo is often affectionately called “black gold” in Punjab for the wealth its milk brings. Goat and sheep meats (mutton) from local breeds are central to many Pakistani dishes and feasts. By conserving the breeds, we also conserve the unique flavors and qualities of these foods that have been perfected over time.
In essence, each indigenous breed is a living repository of cultural history and social value. Allowing these breeds to die out would mean erasing an important part of our heritage – like losing an old craft or language. The cultural bond between Pakistani farmers and their native livestock cannot be measured in rupees alone, but it certainly strengthens the social fabric of rural life.
Current Government Policies and Their Impact
Pakistan’s government recognizes the importance of the livestock sector and has taken initiatives to boost its productivity. The national strategy in recent years has focused on increasing milk and meat production to meet domestic demand and even turn Pakistan into an exporter of animal products. A key element of this strategy is “breed improvement for enhanced productivity” – essentially improving animal genetics to get higher yields. In theory, this includes identifying high-performing indigenous breeds adapted to each agro-ecological zone and establishing “nucleus herds” (breeding centers) for them, as well as importing high-yielding exotic dairy, beef and mutton breeds and genetic material (like semen and embryos) to cross with local stock.
On paper, this approach tries to balance leveraging local breeds with introducing foreign genetics. In practice, however, the emphasis has tilted heavily towards exotic breed introduction and cross-breeding, with less tangible support for purebred indigenous lines. Thousands of doses of Holstein-Friesian cattle semen have been imported to inseminate local cows, and large commercial dairy farms have brought in foreign-bred animals for higher milk output. While these cross-breeding programs can improve yields in controlled environments, they also raise concerns about the genetic dilution of native breeds. Experts note that indiscriminate cross-breeding, if not well-managed, can swiftly erode the pure populations of local cattle and buffalo – meaning the unique traits of indigenous breeds get lost as they are mixed with imported bloodlines.
When it comes to conservation of native breeds, government action has been limited and fragmented. There have been some positive policy signals: for instance, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government released a Livestock Policy in 2018 that explicitly made “preservation of indigenous livestock breeds” a priority alongside genetic improvement. This policy emphasizes conserving animal genetic resources and even mentions establishing breed conservation programs. Other provinces have breeding programs at government livestock farms (for example, maintaining herds of Sahiwal cattle and Nili-Ravi buffalo at research stations) and some initiatives to register breeds. The federal Ministry of National Food Security & Research has also acknowledged the need to identify and conserve well-adapted local breeds in its plans.
However, implementation on the ground has lagged. Breed conservation and improvement units are often under-resourced. There is no comprehensive national gene bank for livestock (though small-scale semen banks exist for a few major breeds), and many smaller breeds have no formal conservation plan at all. A telling indicator is that while crossbred and exotic cattle populations have risen to form a significant share of the national herd, the proportion of pure indigenous cattle has not grown correspondingly, and some breeds have seen declines. In Sindh province, for example, academicians and farmers have raised alarms that local cattle breeds are “fast becoming endangered” as their numbers dwindle. Experts at Sindh Agriculture University recently warned of “rapidly declining population of buffaloes, goats and purebred breeds of various livestock, including sheep” in the province. Similar concerns echo in other regions – Pakistan’s native breeds are steadily being replaced or crossbred without plans to maintain pure lines.
The impact of current policies can thus be viewed as a double-edged sword. On one hand, efforts to improve productivity are understandable given the need for food security and economic growth. Pakistan’s livestock sector grew almost 3.9% in 2023-24, buoyed by these initiatives. On the other hand, without strong safeguards, these same policies can undermine genetic diversity. For example, government support or subsidies for imported breeds (or their semen) makes it attractive for farmers to abandon local breeds. A lack of investment in selective breeding programs for indigenous stock – e.g. systematically improving Sahiwal cattle milk yield generation after generation – means local breeds remain low yielding, perpetuating the cycle of farmers preferring crossbreds or imports. Inadequate research and extension services for local breed management exacerbate this gap. Dairy farmers have pointed out that Pakistan has not done enough research on improving local cows and buffaloes, unlike a country like India which has invested in technology (such as sexed semen for indigenous breeds) to boost their performance. The result is a continued perception that indigenous animals are “inferior” – a view that can become a self-fulfilling prophecy if those breeds are neglected.
It’s worth noting that the government and academia are starting to respond to these concerns. The establishment of the National Centre for Livestock Breeding, Genetics and Genomics with sub-centers in various provinces is a recent step. In October 2021, a sub-center in Tandojam, Sindh, announced plans to conserve the pure genetic stock of local cattle, buffalo, goat, and sheep breeds, including creating a repository of reproductive material (semen, embryos) for rare breeds. They even plan to use DNA testing to verify and catalog pure breeds in the province. These are promising moves, but still in nascent stages. The challenge remains to scale up such efforts nationally and integrate them with the mainstream livestock development programs.
Gaps in Conservation Strategies and Consequences of Neglect
A critical look at Pakistan’s current approach reveals several gaps in its strategy for conserving native livestock breeds:
If these gaps persist, the consequences of neglecting native breeds could be severe. Most obviously, Pakistan risks losing many of its indigenous breeds altogether – a number of them could go extinct or quasi-extinct in the coming decades, as has happened in other countries. This would be an irreversible loss of biodiversity. With each breed that disappears, we lose unique genes that could have been crucial for disease resistance, climate adaptation, or future scientific research (for example, studying a drought-resistant goat to breed drought tolerance into other lines). It narrows the genetic base of our food system, making it more vulnerable to shocks. A disease outbreak, for instance, could wipe out a uniform population of crossbreds, whereas a diverse genetic pool might contain some resistant animals.
From an economic standpoint, overly relying on a few high-yield breeds can backfire. Exotic dairy cows or hybrid poultry often need optimal conditions – quality feed, healthcare, moderate climate – and can falter if those conditions are not met. Small farmers who abandon hardy local breeds for such animals might find themselves in trouble if they cannot afford the required inputs or if, say, a heat wave strikes. The result could be lower overall productivity and higher costs in the long run, undermining the very goal of the breed improvement policy.
Socially and culturally, neglecting native breeds could erode rural traditions and pride. Future generations may never see a pure Makhi Cheeni goat or a true Sindhi buffalo if those go extinct – a disconnect from our agricultural heritage. The knowledge associated with rearing those breeds (traditional veterinary remedies, grazing and breeding practices adapted locally) would also fade, which is a loss of intangible cultural knowledge.
Another consequence is increased dependency on foreign sources for genetics and even dairy products. Already, Pakistan spends precious foreign exchange to import milk powder and high-producing cattle. If local breeds are not developed to be productive and only exotics are seen as the solution, the country could become permanently beholden to external genetics companies for semen or live animals. This has implications for national sovereignty over food production.
In summary, failing to act on conservation can lead to genetic homogenization, ecological fragility, economic vulnerability, and cultural loss. The warning signs are visible – experts are raising concern over declining breed populations – and the time to strengthen conservation efforts is now.
Recommendations to Enhance Conservation Efforts
Conserving Pakistan’s native livestock breeds will require a multi-pronged approach involving policy measures, scientific programs, and community engagement. Here are some practical steps and recommendations to help safeguard these breeds for the future:
By implementing these measures, Pakistan can move toward a more balanced livestock development paradigm – one that not only seeks immediate productivity gains but also safeguards the genetic foundation of its livestock industry. Other countries have shown that development and conservation can go hand in hand; for example, India and Brazil have improved milk production while conserving native cattle breeds, and many African nations are investing in local breed resilience. Pakistan too can chart a path that harnesses the best of its own breeds alongside selective use of exotic genetics, rather than one that inadvertently replaces the former with the latter.
Conclusion
Our native livestock breeds are a national treasure hiding in plain sight – living assets that have fed and supported our people for centuries. They are economically vital for rural livelihoods, ecologically suited to our lands, and culturally precious. Conserving them is not a nostalgic luxury; it is essential for sustainable agriculture, future food security, and resilience against climate and market upheavals. Pakistan’s current policies acknowledge the importance of livestock but must broaden in vision to explicitly protect and improve indigenous breeds. As we push to produce more milk and meat, we should remember that breed “improvement” should not come at the cost of breed extinction. There is a need for course-correction and greater investment in the often undervalued native breeds.
The encouraging news is that Pakistan still has time and many dedicated individuals – farmers, scientists, policymakers – who are aware of the problem and eager to act. By making breed conservation a public priority and backing it with concrete support, Pakistan can ensure that its Sahiwal cattle continue to roam the pastures, Nili-Ravi buffaloes continue to wallow in the rivers, and vibrant local goats and sheep continue to thrive on our rangelands for generations to come. The loss of a breed is permanent, but so is the impact of saving one. It is an effort well worth making, for the sake of our economy, our environment, and our heritage.
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