MART-AZR Project Research Report 75: Small ruminant research in highland Balochistan: A Case Study from Pakistan

Abstract

Meat, skins, wool, hair, and milk products are the main outputs from the small ruminants that dominate the agricultural economy of Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province which shares borders with Iran and Afghanistan. The central and northern areas of the province are mountainous and an estimated 18 million small ruminants subsist on about 30 million ha of heavily degraded rangelands. Combinations of nomadic, transhumant, and sedentary production systems are found, with the ranges providing at least two-thirds of the feed requirements although straw from irrigated and rainfed wheat grown in the valleys is also important. This paper describes 10 years of research to improve the productivity of small ruminants in highland Balochistan. The research is being conducted by the Arid Zone Research Institute (AZRI) in Quetta which has been strengthened since 1985 by a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission to Pakistan. The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) was contracted to implement this strengthening effort and has had scientists posted at AZRI since 1985. The paper illustrates how an international agricultural research center -ICARDA -with financial support from a donor -USAID -is helping to strengthen the research and research management capability of an institute -AZRI -of a national agricultural research system.