APMPEA hails PM's vision of promoting livestock

All Pakistan Meat Processors & Exporters Association (APMPEA) Chairman Nasib Ahmad Saifi welcomed the Prime Minister's vision to promote livestock farming as the engine of growth and urged the government to give preference to meat processors and exporters while extending any incentive in this regard. Saifi said the Global Halal Food industry is estimated to be worth around $2.3 trillion, the big chunk of it is associated with the Halal food industry. That is really a lucrative business opportunity for Pakistani Halal meat sector.
He said the government should set up special livestock zones as had been envisaged by the previous government. However, he said the present government should give preference to actual abattoir owners while allotting land in these special livestock zones as they not only have the experience to rear cattle but can also play their role because of their contacts among the international buyers of meat and meat products.
Talking to Business Recorder on Tuesday, he said the meat exporters of Pakistan are facing furious competition from the meat exporters from countries like India, Brazil and Africa.
On the other hand, the governmental support for the meat export sector in the past was scarce, even the procedures to handle meat exports were troublesome.
In order to fetch lucrative international markets, meat processors require an ample quantity of livestock at an optimum price to process. As the growing population of the country has already exhausted the livestock supplies, over and above animal smuggling has deepened the crisis. This issue can only be resolved through stoppage of livestock smuggling which is one of the important causes of hike in prices.
"Our production of livestock is rapidly decreasing because of slaughtering of female animals. For the short term gains, female animals are being slaughtered which harms the animal and milk production growth rates. A ban on their slaughtering should be imposed and a mechanism should also be framed for its effective implementation," Saifi added.