INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE & BIOLOGY ISSN Print: 1560–8530; ISSN Online: 1814–9596 12–583/2013/15–1–62–68 http://www.fspublishers.org Full Length Article To cite this paper: Pasha, R.H., A.S. Qureshi and W.A. Khamas, 2013. A Survey of Camel production in three different ecological zones of Pakistan. Int. J. Agric. Biol., 15: 62‒68 A Survey of Camel Production in Three Different Ecological Zones of Pakistan Riaz Hussain Pasha *1 , Anas Sarwar Qureshi 2 and Wael A. Khamas 3 1 Department of Veterinary Basic Sciences (Histology), Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi-46300, Pakistan 2 Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-38040, Pakistan 3 College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA *For correspondence: riazpasha@uaar.edu.pk Abstract This field survey was conducted in three districts of Punjab, Pakistan, to study the dromedary camel production and traditional management practices. A total of 75 households were interviewed on the management, significance and constraints associated to the camel production in the area using a single-visit-multiple-subject diagnostic survey. According to the camel breeders’ responses, the family living status of the camel herders has improved in all three ecological zones. Most of the camel herders were keeping Marecha, Campbelpuri and Brela camel breeds at Faisalabad, Attock and Bhakkar zones. Major source of income of the camel herders at all zones were sale of milk and meat, sale of animals and crop cultivation. Majority of the herders kept their camels in open air system and take their camels for grazing from morning till evening at all the zones; however comparatively the trend of supplementation was more at Faisalabad zone. Camels play an important role in the socio-economics of the nomadic people in this area. In order to improve the camel production in the study area, Livestock and dairy development department and local NGO , S should take into consideration the importance of camel and the prevalent problems in the area. © 2013 Friends Science Publishers Keywords: Survey; Production; Traditional management; Dromedary camel; Pakistan Introduction The livestock sector is an essential part of agriculture in Pakistan. It plays an important role in the agriculture sector and in the national economy of Pakistan. Livestock accounts for 37% of the agriculture Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 8% of the national GDP. Among livestock, camel farming contributes a major part of total livestock production in certain geographic locations of the country. Pakistan possesses about 23% camel population of Asian countries and rates fourth in the world following Somalia, Sudan and Mauritania (FAOSTAT, 2005). There are about 0.328 million households linked one way or another with camel production in Pakistan (Anonymous, 2008-2009). The camel is capable of surviving under harsh and arid environmental conditions (Schwartz, 1992). It can survive and reproduce under a management system with low inputs, harsh environmental conditions and difficult landscapes in arid and semi-arid regions where survival of other animals is usually at risk. Camel is an important multi-purpose animal for socio-economic needs of the inhabitants of deserts, mountainous regions and even the irrigated plains of Pakistan (Jasra and Isani, 2000; Khan et al., 2003; Ahmad et al., 2010; Samara et al., 2012; Pasha et al., 2012). In Pakistan, camels are mainly kept by the migratory pastoralists in subsistence production systems in the arid and semi-arid regions (Iqbal et al., 2012). However, camel contribution to the agriculture economy of Pakistan is not well assessed. In addition to being a pack and draft animal, the camel is a good source of milk, meat and hides for the residents of the extreme desert areas. Camel milk is sold in small quantities and is also given away or shared with neighbours. The major importance of camel milk is its availability in dry seasons and during times of drought when milk from other livestock is inadequate. The dairy potential of camels appears to be higher than that of cows reared under the same climatic and management conditions (Faye, 2005). The milk yield ranges between 900 and 4000 L in one lactation period (250-500 days). The camel meat is largely consumed by the people of rural and remote areas of Pakistan, as most of the people of cities have not developed the taste for it. However, this trend is going to be changed with time due to awareness of the people living in the cities about the medicinal importance of camel milk (Khan et al., 2003; Khan, 2012; Sazmand et al., 2012). According to an estimate over 798,000 tons of milk is being annually produced in Pakistan (Anonymous, 2008-2009). The trend