The Pakistan Dairy Development Company (PDDC) has modernized 800 farms across the country under its Model Dairy Farm Programme.
“The programme is designed to introduce more modern and productive dairy farm management practices at dairy farms throughout the country,” said the company’s chief executive officer Geoff Walker said during an interview on July 15.
The focus of the programme so far is provision of clean drinking water and fodder with enhanced nutrition for dairy animals, mastitis prevention and control, temperature mitigation and improved calf rearing. Geoff lauded the efforts made by the staff of PDDC in reaching this milestone, despite financial stress.
PDDC has recently launched its new publication ‘White Revolution’ to mark three years of activity. With the guidance of PDDC, farmers are earning more money and they are putting this additional income to good use, better education for children, health and increasing investment on their farms.
“Farmers setting up model dairy farms are earning more money and increasing investment in their business. The company is striving for achieving the goal of setting up 3,000 model dairy farms in the country during the next few years. It is executing the Community Farms Programme for small farmers owning three to ten dairy animals,” he said.
“In past, we did not consult a veterinarian for the treatment of sick calves. Now under this programme we learnt about health care and management of buffalo calves. They educate us (dairy owners) to make calf rearing an economical proposition,” said Zulfiqar, a dairy farmer at the meeting.
“The company wanted to ensure provision of nutrition to dairy cows and buffaloes so that they have a calf every year. PDDC farmers will continue to progress with the further support of the company. Our goal is to ensure that the nutrition provided to dairy cows and buffaloes, and the health and other critical factors, are managed so that animals have a half each year,” said Bill Stevenson, General Manager Extension for PDDC.
“The economy of dairy farming in Pakistan would be much different from what it was today. More than 550 farmers are being supported under the programme, and outstanding financial results being achieved through higher milk production and better milk marketing,” said Bill.
PDDC’s Community Farms Programme is about technology transfer to existing dairy farmers. PDDC’s extension programme is also under way, despite difficulties in identifying the training farms which PDDC believes are critical to the development of the human resources needed to drive the progress of the sector.