Majority of Pakistan’s Milk Production Does Not Meet International Quality Criteria
Barrister Nabeel Ahmad Awan, Chairman of the Planning and Development (P&D) Board, chaired a meeting on Friday to discuss the challenges in dairy development across Punjab. Key stakeholders from the dairy industry participated in the discussions.
The meeting highlighted that while Pakistan ranks as the world’s fifth-largest milk producer, only 2 billion liters out of the 30 billion liters produced annually meet international safety standards. Barrister Awan underscored Punjab’s pivotal role in the dairy sector, contributing 60% of the country’s total milk production. He stressed the importance of ensuring milk safety to improve public health and strengthen the provincial economy.
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Barrister Awan advocated for public-private partnerships as a key strategy to address milk safety issues and enhance the sector’s performance. He also highlighted the critical role of policy interventions in tackling child malnutrition, which affects over 40% of children under the age of five in Punjab.
To drive progress, the chairman proposed developing a comprehensive safe milk framework. He also announced plans for a consultation session with experts in January to address key challenges in the sector.
Prominent attendees of the meeting included former Federal Secretary Waqar Masood, Member Agriculture Aslam Javaid, Member Health Shafaat Ali, Consultant Javed Latif, and other industry leaders.
