August 25, 2009
Pakistan province may face milk and meat shortages
The province of Sindh in Pakistan may face milk and meat shortages, as a strange disease started to kill the livestock.
Livestock is the only source of livelihood in Thar Desert, and the people of Thar have incurred huge losses from the disease.
It is feared that the disease may go on to spread to Karachi, Hyderabad and other major cities of Sindh, which would lead to a severe shortage of milk and meat, as 60 percent of total livestock is supplied to these areas from the afflicted Tharparkar.
Official data shows that Thar has about five million cattle, about 60 to 70 percent of the total population of livestock in Sindh.
But Executive District Officer of Livestock, Ghulamullah Jarwar, asserted there is no deadly disease among the livestock and they have not received any reports of animals dying.
There are only cases of diarrhoea among big animals, Jarwar said, adding that they have started a vaccination campaign in the district.
