THE first-ever sea shipment of American diary cattle, 1,765 head of Holsteins, has arrived in Pakistan, reports Karachi's Business Recorder.
According to Pakistan's BR Research, the reason the first effort failed to arouse market interest was that the cattle were not housed on the right farms.
Success mainly depends on farm management rather than animal genetics with only 15 per cent of the success attributable to inherent biological factors, said the report.
Pakistani cows yield 8-12 litres milk per day on average depending on whose estimates you rely on, then American cattle yield 40 to 45 litres. Australian and Dutch cows offer 20-25 litres and 30-35 litres respectively with variances depending on breed. Which is why American cows are expensive.
A few months ago, when an Australian cow cost US$2,200-2,300 after arriving in Pakistan, and Dutch cost $2,700-2,800, the delivered cost of American animal was about $3,000-3,200. These are no small differences when a company has to set up a farm of minimum 500 head, if not 1,000-1,500 animals, especially in a depreciating PKR scenario.
In the US and in many other countries, once a dairy animal is depreciated, ie, its calving cycle is complete and lactation exhausted, the animal is sold in the meat market at a price close to the initial purchase prices of a fresh born heifer.
WORLD SHIPPING
According to Pakistan's BR Research, the reason the first effort failed to arouse market interest was that the cattle were not housed on the right farms.
Success mainly depends on farm management rather than animal genetics with only 15 per cent of the success attributable to inherent biological factors, said the report.
Pakistani cows yield 8-12 litres milk per day on average depending on whose estimates you rely on, then American cattle yield 40 to 45 litres. Australian and Dutch cows offer 20-25 litres and 30-35 litres respectively with variances depending on breed. Which is why American cows are expensive.
A few months ago, when an Australian cow cost US$2,200-2,300 after arriving in Pakistan, and Dutch cost $2,700-2,800, the delivered cost of American animal was about $3,000-3,200. These are no small differences when a company has to set up a farm of minimum 500 head, if not 1,000-1,500 animals, especially in a depreciating PKR scenario.
In the US and in many other countries, once a dairy animal is depreciated, ie, its calving cycle is complete and lactation exhausted, the animal is sold in the meat market at a price close to the initial purchase prices of a fresh born heifer.
WORLD SHIPPING