LAHORE: The government is evaluating a high-stakes proposal to establish a dedicated ‘railway livestock corridor’ as a master plan for national economic recovery, food security and strengthening export market.
Being prioritised as a strategic initiative, the proposed corridor gained significant attention after the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR) in a letter addressed to the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) on Thursday gave it a green signal.
The ministry’s support for a pilot project involving once-a-week dedicated wagons from Karachi to Okara-Sahiwal is a response to a crisis highlighted by the Dairy & Cattle Farmers Association (DCFA), which has warned that the country’s livestock economy is under immediate threat due to weak logistic linkages.
This momentum follows a consultative moot hosted by the Planning Commission a few months ago, where stakeholders first raised the urgent need for a secure logistical alternative to the increasingly hazardous road networks.
The proposal, currently being reviewed by the Prime Minister’s Office and the SIFC Secretariat, has been aimed at revival of once-a-week dedicated railway wagons for transport of male calves and dry animals from Karachi to Okara and Sahiwal on a pilot basis. It is being dubbed as a vital move for optimizing livestock resource utilisation, reducing wastage in the dairy sector, and strengthening meat and dairy value chain.
An important aspect of the proposal is to address the slaughtering of dry but productive animals in one of the biggest markets in southern parts of the country due to a lack of a robust transportation link with upcountry.
The proposal partly underscores a security situation on the national highway, especially through rural Sindh, where certain elements have made road transport extremely hazardous. The DCFA claims that more than 20 livestock-laden trucks are snatched every month, with farmers forced to pay heavy extortion, or ‘bhatta’, to secure the release of their animals.
This unchecked crime is driving farmers out of the sector and leading to the mass slaughter of productive animals in Karachi and Hyderabad, which has caused the prices of milk and meat to soar beyond the reach of most consumers.
To address such challenges and streamline domestic cattle markets coupled with strengthening logistics for exports, the government aims to restore the historical ‘Juma Goth Junction’ near Karachi Cattle Colony, a model that was highly efficient until the 1990s. By doing so, the government plans to provide a secure logistical alternative that can save two million animals annually and stabilise domestic food prices.
Beyond domestic stability, the proposal is a critical component of the country’s international trade strategy, as the success of recently signed meat export agreements with China and Gulf countries depends entirely on a protected and continuous supply chain.
Furthermore, the plan integrates a massive environmental and agricultural benefit through an Asian Development Bank-supported project that will produce 8,000 tonnes of organic bio-fertiliser daily in Karachi. The railway corridor will serve as the primary artery for transporting this fertiliser upcountry, restoring soil fertility and drastically reducing the national import bill for chemical fertilisers.
One of the key features of the plan is the notification of a ‘special green tariff’ for subsidised transport and the attachment of specialised livestock vans to regular passenger trains to ensure a daily, affordable and safe flow of animals across the country.
