LAHORE: All Pakistan Meat Processors and Exporters Association (APMPEA) has proposed the government to set up 'disease-free zones' in the country particularly in Cholistan area to raise animals in a disease-free environment for boosting the export of halal meat and meat products.
APMPEA Chairman Nasib Ahmad Saifi urged the Government to allocated around 500 acres of land to those small livestock farmers who are at present rearing around 25-50 or 100 animals per farm. 'Giving them land in the Cholistan will encourage them to raise more animals thus making more meat available for export and local consumption,' he said and added that spreading of bacterial diseases is hard in the Cholistan being desert. He also claimed that Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD) is also non-existent in this area.
Talking to Business Recorder here on Friday, Saifi said that 17 big names are already having their herds being raised in the Cholistan and the government should encourage others too by giving incentives. He claimed that Pakistan does not have FMD vaccine in required number so raising of animals should be encouraged in an area which is free of this disease.
"If we are interested to explore Chinese market which is huge and at the same time financially more lucrative, we need to set up disease-free zones for animals to be exported as this Chinese demand,' Nasib Ahmad Saifi added.
He said that we have to explore the markets of Russia, Turkey, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and Korea where rates are good. He said these markets are very big as compared to the Middle East and we should establish our business with those countries.
He urged the Government to mobilize its commercial counsellors in these countries to look for opportunities and ensure Business2Business (B2B) dialogues between Pakistani exporters and importers of these countries.
Saifi said that the international halal food and meat market is of trillions of dollars and Pakistan despite being a Muslim country has a negligible share in it.
Efforts should be launched at commercial consulate level to ensure retrieval of payments stuck or defaulted by the foreign importers. Quarantine Department should be working 365 days and 24/ with bringing down the quarantine fee to half enabling the exporters to prepare its consignments with peace of mind, he concluded.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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