Punjab doubles quoto of free livestock for women
- By Web Desk -
- Apr 26, 2026
LAHORE: Punjab is set to export up to one million livestock animals following a series of agreements aimed at boosting the meat export sector, officials said.
The initiative, led by Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, includes the signing of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with seven organisations, among them a Chinese meat processing company.
Under the plan, a Chinese firm will collaborate with the PAMCO to install a large-scale boiler unit. The facility is expected to enable the processing of boiled meat for export at an industrial level.
Officials said companies involved in the agreements will initially import meat from approximately 0.3 million animals ready for export.
Targets have also been set for the fattening of 300,000 cows and buffalo, along with 300,000 sheep and rams. In addition, around 100,000 goats and sheep will be raised specifically for export purposes.
The government of Punjab has also announced broader reforms in the livestock sector. State-of-the-art veterinary hospitals will be established in each Tehsil, while four mobile veterinary dispensaries per tehsil will provide treatment in rural areas.
Meanwhile, The Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, has doubled the quota for distributing free livestock to rural women. Officials noted that 9,255 animals have already been provided to widowed and divorced women in 12 districts of South Punjab.
During a video link meeting, chaired by Maryam Nawaz, important decisions have been made. While giving a briefing at the meeting, Provincial minister for livestock, Ashiq Hussain, said that the government of Punjab also plans to modernise livestock farming by introducing mechanisation, offering subsidies of up to 60 percent on equipment such as milk chillers, mixers, milk cane coolers, weigh scales, feed mixers, pilot machine, and other machinery.
To support export targets, two million animals will be tagged for tracking, and two million doses of breeding semen will be distributed at subsidised rates to improve livestock quality.
Authorities reported no recent outbreaks of major livestock diseases such as lumpy skin disease or haemorrhagic septicaemia since 2022, even following recent flooding. Locally produced vaccines are now available at significantly lower cost compared with imported alternatives.