KP livestock losses touch Rs 7b

PESHAWAR: The livestock, dairy and poultry sectors have suffered a loss of over Rs 7 billion in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
However, the government has not provided any compensation yet. The Ministry of Livestock has completed its preliminary survey, with the support of its district field offices and local administrations in the flood affected areas and has compiled its complete report of both direct and indirect losses to the livestock, dairy and poultry sectors.
The report available with Pakistan Today reveals that the floods have inflicted losses of an estimated Rs 5.2 billion. The floods have also indirectly damaged the livestock sector for an estimated Rs 2 billion in the province. An official in the ministry, on the condition of anonymity said that the report has been forwarded to the relevant government quarters in recent weeks but no feedback concerning compensation has been received thus far.
“The process is very slow and the government has been busy with disbursing financial assistance to the millions of people affected by the floods. The priority is being given to human and infrastructural damages,” the official explained.
Another official said that the government is aware of the losses to the livestock sector but financial constraints are making it hard for it to deliver as per the requirements.
“I don’t know if there is any plan for the government to compensate us. We are praying to God to help us recover from these losses,” said Arshad Ali Khan, the owner of a livestock farm in Nowshera, who lost over 100 buffalos and cows in the floods
In direct losses, the floods killed as many as 134,721 livestock and 552,816 poultry animals, with an estimated financial loss of Rs 5.2 billion, and over Rs 2 billion indirect losses of equipment and buildings, the document shows.
The floods killed 44,634 buffalos with a financial loss of Rs 2.4 billion and 28,233 cows with an estimated loss of Rs 1.7 billion. Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) spokesman informed Pakistan Today that the government was working on a plan to revive these sectors, and initial surveys have been completed concerning the livestock, poultry and dairy sectors.