The Political Economy of Milk in Punjab

A people’s perspective: This document is a summary report of a research exercise conducted by Punjab Lok Sujag over the last three years. It underlines Sujag’s interest in understanding and changing lives of the dairy farmers of Punjab through organized and well thought-out social, political and economic interventions.The report comprises of two parts.
The first offers facts and figures related to livestock farming, dairy market, caricatures of stake holders and an overview of national policies and global trends. This is necessary to understand and analyze the present situation.The second part of this report is about issues and debates that have arisen in this course.
This publication is aimed at widening this debate and raising questions, finding answers to questions and teaming up people who want to take these questions and answers to real life.

The paper opens with a brief description of macroeconomic situation of Pakistan followed by a general poverty profile and particular plight of women in the society. Failure of requisite social safety networks, and trickle down effect of economic growth and a couple of other factors make a case for intervention.
A situation analysis of formal and informal finance shows the bias of the formal finance towards the rich. It also reveals that major credit demand of the rural poor is being met by expensive and unsteady informal sector. Inability of the poor to serve collateral has been identified as a major hurdle in reaching the poor. Grameen model of group-based guarantee, introduced in Bangladesh and successfully replicated in other countries is prescribed for an effective and sustainable institutional intervention.

Arbitrary arrests and detentions in the context of the “war on terror” continued. Several people reportedly “disappeared”. In the tribal areas, arbitrary arrests and possible extrajudicial executions were reported during security operations. The government failed to control sectarian violence which cost hundreds of lives. The blasphemy laws continued to be used to prosecute members of minorities. Government initiatives to improve protection of rights of women and juveniles provided only limited relief. Some children continued to be prosecuted as adults. At least 394 people were sentenced to death and 15 were executed.

As part of a wider regional weather phenomenon which has affected a number of countries in South Asia and the Near East, a prolonged drought has seriously affected crop and livestock production in Pakistan. Last year, Balochistan and parts of Sindh and Cholistan in Punjab Province were particularly affected with serious consequences on the food security of a large segment of the population. The Government's extensive efforts to reduce the effects of the drought by providing extra resources for food and feed rations, water and veterinary supplies have helped avert a humanitarian disaster, so far. However, continued extended drought conditions in the first half of this year have increased the scale and severity of the problem raising humanitarian concerns that require urgent attention.

DAMAAN Development Organisation is currently engaged with the indigenous minorities of Indus (IMI), for their land and livelihood rights and hence the political and cultural rights. DAMAAN is facilitating these communities to have National Identity Cards and to get registered as voters. Not only are these communities marginalised, but they are also often neglected by the non-governmental sector. The communities demand allotment of, control over or right of use on riverine lands.

Child labour in minining and quarrying is one of the three most dangerous occupations to work in along with agriculture and construction. Here children live in extreme and harsh living conditions and degraded value systems, according to the latest study by the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC).

G8 member states are undermining their commitments to poverty reduction, stability and human rights with irresponsible arms exports to some of the world's poorest and most conflict-ridden countries, according to new research issued on 22 June 2005 . G8 weapons have been exported to countries including Sudan , Myanmar ( Burma ), the Republic of Congo , Colombia and the Philippines . Canada , France , Germany , Italy , Japan , Russia , the UK and the USA are still supplying military equipment, weapons and munitions to destinations where they contribute to gross violations of human rights.