Big worry as Punjab livestock population sees 5.78 lakh dip

The preliminary report of the livestock census has thrown up a disturbing trend of a fall in the livestock population of Punjab by 8.5 per cent. The total animal population of the state has declined by 5.78 lakh since 2019.

The livestock population of Punjab, according to the preliminary report, is 68,03,196 as against 73,81,540 in 2019, when the last census was conducted.

This is the 21st livestock census that is at present underway. The enumeration process for it took place between October 2024 and February 2025. The livestock census in India is conducted every five years.

The preliminary report shows that there is a fall in the cattle population by 2.32 lakh; buffalo population by 5.22 lakh and pig population by 6,973. On the other hand, the population of sheep has increased by nearly 1 lakh; dogs by 57,000, goats by 21,000 and horses by 5,720.

The preliminary data also throws up an interesting fact of how the donkey and camel population in the state has declined rapidly, with the state having just 127 donkeys and 77 camels now.

In the last census, the donkey population was 471 and Punjab had 120 camels. In 1977, Punjab had 29,000 camels and 22,000 donkeys.

Though there is a fall in the population of cattle and buffaloes, this has not impacted the milk production in the state. “The reason for this,” says Principal Secretary Animal Husbandry Rahul Bhandari, “is that dairy farmers now opt for high-yielding animals like the Holstein Friesian breed, which have five lactations, and produce 10,000 to 12,000 litres of milk in each lactation period”.

Other reasons for the decline in the animal population are rapid urbanisation and a large number of people moving to foreign land in search of greener pastures. In 2022, the lumpy skin disease, had led to the death of thousands of head of cattle.

Interestingly, the last livestock census in 2019 had revealed that the desi cow population had risen in the state, even though it had declined in the rest of the country.

Officials in the state Animal Husbandry Department said though the data for species under each category of livestock was still being collated, they were certain that the population of the Sahiwal species would have gone up. “We will get to know about the details once the final report is declared and notified by the Centre soon,” said the Director, Animal Husbandry, Dr GS Bedi.

Punjab