Dr. Muhammad Younas and Mr. Muqarrab Ali Khan (PASA, Faisalabad)
Livestock sector encompasses two distinct disciplines namely Veterinary Medicine (Animal Health) and Animal Science (Animal Production). Nevertheless, within the public sector of Pakistan, there exists an imbalance within the organizational system as it is structured with most emphasis on veterinary work, thus leaving a vacuum which hinders the proper integration of animal production science knowledge. This is the main concern of this article.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Veterinary is a very vital subject should progress and move in the right direction, but their emphasis is limited towards the treatment of animals and they are neglecting a major portion of the Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry sectors that belong to Animal Science (Animal Production).
Pakistan is an agrarian economy where the livestock sector plays a central and indispensable role in food security, rural livelihoods, and national GDP, contributing more than 63% of agricultural value addition. Despite having one of the largest livestock populations in the world, i.e; cattle 62 M, buffalo 49 M, sheep 33 M, goat 92 M, and others 8 M, Pakistan still shows low productivity per animal, mainly due to weak integration of modern science, technology, and specialized human resources.
Animal Production sector is being pushed to wall and by any mean the trained graduates are being ignored in all jobs and employments. Animal production graduates are being produced in the country and thousands of graduates are kept away from the Livestock and Poultry Sector. Many deliberations, shows, conferences and workshops are being staged but Animal Science (or Animal Production) personnels and graduates are disregarded and unheeded intentionally.
The actual reasons are mostly camouflaged but this structured gap limits the livestock and poultry sector developments. Some policy makers think that production is not needed in the country. If it is required, they will handle it by pushing away and ignoring the production graduates (professionals) trained for these jobs. Results of such efforts are clearly visible seen in low productivity of animals, disease endemics, heavy loads on imports of milk, milk products, medicine, semen and vaccines.
Animal Production Education (Animal Science, Dairy Science, Poultry Science, Fisheries Science, and allied disciplines) in Pakistan have been ignored intentionally. There are five Animal Science degrees producing these graduates in almost more than 20 Universities of the country. These graduates are waiting to be utilized for their potentials to work for the animal and production sector.
The main reasons which debar these graduates are:
1. Service structure of the Govt doesn’t allow them to enter in the job market, and
2. A taboo of PVMC registration is hindering them from entering the field jobs.
Conferences and Moots
Efforts in veterinary medicine have contributed much to animal health, however, reaching the potential of livestock industry calls for simultaneous efforts in production science, a field which has not received similar institutional focus.
There are a lot many job/chores to be done by Vets like:
- Treatment of animals/birds
- Diseases surveillance
- Vaccine production
- Artificial insemination
- Treatment of all endemic diseases
- To find out effective treatments of neglected diseases to make farm animals and poultry population healthy and productive.
Rest of the jobs like Livestock and Poultry Farms management, ECH, balanced feeding, animal breeding, genetics and genomics, animal welfare and marketing have to be done by animal production professionals. They have been taught and trained for these jobs. It will be suitable and appropriate if all graduates are given the assignment/jobs for which they have been trained for.
Critical Human Resource Gap in Livestock Sector
It is important to highlight a structural gap in the system: Since long, more than 20 HEC-recognized Universities in Pakistan are producing BS Animal Sciences, BS Dairy Science, BS Poultry Science, and BS Fisheries and Aquaculture or BS with their variant disciplines. Thousands of trained graduates are entering the job market annually with these degrees. However, they are not formally inducted into public sector livestock institutions, nor are their roles clearly defined in departmental structures. This requires some changes in the service rules to allow these graduates to enter public sector.
Animal Science graduates do not seek clinical practice rights; therefore, PVMC registration is not applicable to their professional roles. However, for public sector, service rules must explicitly recognize their qualifications, independently of PVMC registration. As these degrees are HEC-recognized non-clinical degrees for professional registration or equivalence purposes, which further limits their career pathways and institutional integration. This has created a widening gap between academic output, regulatory recognition, and government employment structures.
Their non-registration with PVMC may be acceptable as they are not asking for the status of practitioners but amendments in service rules are must to enter in Govt jobs depending on the suitability as per their qualifications.
Difference and Complementary Roles
Pakistan needs both professional DVM as well as Animal Science (AS). This should not be considered a battle between two Professors, but these are equally needed to serve our livestock and poultry sectors. Vets will do their jobs of keeping animal healthy and disease free, while Animal Science professionals are responsible for making the animals well bred, well fed and productive. This integration will lead to a pathway of food security and prosperity in the country.
- DVM Graduates: As mentioned above Veterinary Doctors focus on animal health, diagnosis, treatment, surgery, disease surveillance, vaccine production and AI, etc. The clinical veterinary medicine, surgery, vaccination, and public health are their core strengths and controlling diseases, epidemics, AI and zoonoses, etc. is their essential role.
- Animal Sciences (AS) Graduates: Focus on animal production, animal nutrition, breeding and genetics, reproduction, scientific management, animal welfare, farm marketing and economics, etc. The animal productivity enhancement and efficiency improvement of livestock and poultry is their core strength and increasing milk, meat, and egg output through scientific management is their essential role.
Complementary Nature
Animal Sciences professional ensures high-producing well-bred and well-fed animals while DVM ensures treatment of sick animals. Together they can form the foundation of a modern livestock economy with healthy and productive animals leading to food security and food sustainability.
Global Perspective
In developed livestock systems such as in USA, UK, Netherlands, Denmark, Australia, and New Zealand: Animal Scientists manage production and productivity systems while Veterinarians manage animal health systems. Both function in integrated institutional frameworks. This integration results in higher milk yield per animal, efficient feed utilization and strong commercial livestock industries.
Ironically whole world accepts these notions and these two disciplines of Animal Health (treatment) and Animal Science (Production) are complimentary to each other, except our country’s prevailing scenario. The FAO, UNDP, UN, OIC and all other international organizations play their role and acknowledge and promote this concept. The committee constituted by MNFSR to review the Acts of developed countries, also noted that no law in the world speaks about combining both disciplines, rather giving them chance to work in their spheres concurrently. But this is not yet fully recognized within the current system of our country just because of the prevailing bias & prejudice.
Course work Schemes for both Graduates
It is important to note that veterinarians are concerned with the clinical aspects of health, diseases (5-10% of the population, which are sick or morbid) and their treatment, this being absolutely necessary, the vast majority of the animal population (90-95%) needs continuous production management, nutrition, breeding methods, and efficient farming practices of breeding and milking, etc. The actual experts for these animals are the Animal Science graduates, not included in the job structure at present.
Pakistan’s Current Challenge
Veterinary professionals dominate public livestock services and Animal Science graduates remain largely excluded from structured roles. Job descriptions do not clearly recognize production-based scientific expertise. Regulatory ambiguity regarding PVMC recognition further restricts professional acceptance. This has resulted in low productivity despite a huge number of livestock population.
Way Forward
Policy and Institutional Reforms are the dire need of the time and it is proposed that Provincial Governments may consider that:
1. Revision of Job Descriptions: Include Animal Production / Livestock Production Officers / Livestock/Dairy Productivity Specialist and Farm Manager roles in government service rules.
2. Creation of Dual Professional Cadre:
- (a) Veterinary Cadre (DVM): animal health, surgery, medicine, vaccine, AI, disease surveillance & treatment.
- (b) Animal Science Cadre (AS): dairy production, animal nutrition, genetics and genomics, and farm efficiency and marketing.
Both cadres have been working since recent past in the country, but they are fond of making new experiments, leading to nowhere or dead ends.
3. Structured Induction: Induction of Animal Science graduates into Livestock Extension Services, Livestock, Dairy and Poultry development programs including Feeding, breeding and housing management systems is the dire need of the time.
4. Integrated Field Model: Joint deployment of DVM and AS professionals in all livestock programs, scholarships, internships, livestock/dairy/poultry farms and projects is essential.
By doing so, we will be able to see the rightful impact on our animal’s health and productivity and ensuring food security because of:
- (i) Increased milk, meat, and egg production
- (ii) Reduced production cost
- (iii) Improved disease control and productivity
- (iv) Rural employment generation
- (v) Reduced import dependency
- (vi) Strong national food security and traceability system
Conclusion
Pakistan already possesses strong scientific human capital in livestock disciplines. The key requirements are institutional recognition, regulatory alignment, clear job definitions, integration of complementary disciplines and service rules amendments. Aligning Veterinary and Animal Science professionals will transform the livestock sector into a modern, productive, and globally competitive industry. It is respectfully proposed in the best interest of the nation that this matter may kindly be considered at the highest policy level.
There are more than 20 Universities of the country producing such Animal Science (Animal Production) graduates who remain out of public sector and are willing to show their potential as they have shown in early 1980s for Commercial Poultry, ECH and Feed Milling Technology, etc. These graduates are registered under Pakistan Animal Scientists Welfare Association (PASA) which is a registered body in the country. So, on behalf of PASA and ourselves, it is a timely request to the higher ups of the Dept to consider our plight in the light of the facts narrated above.
Action Requested
It is modestly proposed to add these HEC approved animal production degrees of Livestock, Dairy, Poultry and Fisheries in the service rules of L&DD Department. Their entry into the Dept will be made possible as the posts are available, it’s just a matter of eligibility. Let it be clear that we are not asking for job selections but we are requesting to allow these graduates to compete for these eligible posts in public sector, whoever is competent will survive and rest will fade away.