Development of sheep fattening schemes in highland Balochistan, Pakistan

Abstract

Development projects on sheep fattening in highland Balochistan, Pakistan, have shown that it is possible to generate additional income for agropastoralists. Average daily gains of lambs ranged from 98 to 180 g, and returns on animal and concentrate costs ranged from 16% on government stations to 40% in self-help organizations. Supply of suitable concentrate and scheduling of the fattening periods according to market price fluctuations were important technical and economic factors in developing fattening schemes. The schemes achieved lower economic performance when livestock owners were organized with technical and economic considerations alone compared to situations where livestock owners were also selected for their ability to make collective decisions.