Livestock is considered a successful business in Pakistan, especially if you considering to start goat farming. This small sized business requires small investment and can be initiated in any part of Pakistan.
But before starting your goat farming business you should know how to manage it. What are the requirements, what types of goats are suitable for which areas and what is the peak season?
Selecting Breed:
The first and most important question which you face when starting your goat farming business is which breed should be chosen. The answer depends on the province and area where you want to establish your business.
More than 37 breeds of goats are available in Pakistan from which:
- Beetal, Dera Din Panah and Teddy are more suitable for Punjab
- Barbari and Kamori are preferred in Sindh
- Kaghani and Jatal are chosen by the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- Khurassani, Lehri and Pahari can live in the harsh conditions of Balochistan
The ideal age of goat should be 6 to 8 months with body weight of 10-12 kg.
Feed:
Nutritionally balanced concentrate ration or Total Mixed Ration (TMR) are the two feeding options for livestock which helps them to gain weight. Remember that:
- Goat should be fed Total Mixed Ration (TMR) @ 3 % of body weight of animal
- Green fodder should be fed at 5% of body weight
- salt blocks should also be used to help in gaining weight
- 5 to 10 liters of water consumption per day is required, it may be increased due to consumption of salt blocks
A survey in Sindh revealed that kitchen waste is also a major source for feeding sheep and goats. This is because in villages every family owns livestock which are an additional source of earning or milk/mutton for them. Unlike businesses they depend on grass nearby village, trees or kitchen waste.
Though the survey was conducted in Sindh the situation in other provinces such as Balochistan, Punjab, Gilgit Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir is also similar.
Housing & Shelter:
When establishing a shelter space for goats consider these things:
- The place should be dry
- Proper open area for maximum day light and sun for natural disinfection
- Proper removal of droppings, urine and other waste
- Dipping bath of 15 sq ft for medicine mixed dipping to remove parasites and decrease the chances of infection and diseases among animals.
While choosing the location also consider pasture lands such as forest or canal road sides where pasture and grass are easily available.
Where To Sell Your Goat?
Eid ul Adha is the time period which is considered ideal for selling your livestock because the demand of goat is increased to sacrifice on the first few days of Eid. The higher demand increases the rates of the goat during Eid ul Adha.
The return from sale of goats in small towns is very low than the return through selling the animal in big cities.
You can earn more if you choose to carry your animal to the Mandi rather than selling it in small villages or towns. These are some of the matters & tips which will increase the feasibility of your business initiative.
Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) released a proper report & business plan on goat farming. The total investment for establishing the business where 528 goats are raised annually was estimated to be Rs. 1.5 million. SMEDA estimated that the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) will be 35% with a payback period of 3.6 years.