Milk Production and Supply Chain in Peri Urban Areas of Jhang Pakistan

Abstract

The peri urban areas are facing the challenge of poverty, hunger, unemployment, pollution and ineffective utilization of natural resources. Present paper focuses on milk production and its supply chain in the peri urban areas of Jhang district, Punjab province, Pakistan. Quantitative and qualitative data obtained through structured interview schedule, focus group discussion and personal observation are analyzed through statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) and content analysis technique. Results of the milk supply chain revealed that an overwhelming majority of the respondents have no proper place for animals keeping. It was observed that in the peri urban areas most of the milk producers sell milk directly to their neighbors and also they sell to the gawalas Fellow farmers are the main source of information for about 32% of the respondents. Cows and buffaloes are major milk producing animals in the study area and milk is mostly sold through Gawalas as a middlemen. Therefore, interventions are required which focus on the control of diseases and marketing aspects of milk production in the peri urban areas of Jhang district, Pakistan.