Pakistan is suffering huge economic losses due to large scale smuggling of animals from Pakistan to Iran and Afghanistan. Three hundred to four hundred trucks carrying animals are daily crossing 2,000km long Pakistani borders with Afghanistan and Iran unhindered and unchecked, Chairman All Pakistan Meat Processors and Exporters Association (APMPEA) Nasib Ahmad Saifi said, here on Sunday.
In an exclusive interview with the Business Recorder, Saifi said Pakistan is currently exporting Halal meat worth $2.5 billion that can be easily be increased to $10 billion in just three years provided government gives incentives to animal breeders, livestock growers/farmers and shepherds.
He said the Punjab government has imposed a ban on the slaughtering of female animal in the province but the other three provinces Sindh, KPK and Balochistan have not such a ban meaning thereby that the ban has not been very effective. Punjab province is being drained of female animals by animals buyers of other provinces, Saifi added.
He said that meat traders of Iran and Afghanistan are openly buying animals both male and female at the Lahore and other animal markets of Punjab that has resulted in the shortage of mutton and beef and price hike in the country.
Chairman APMPEA said that 87,000 animals are being daily slaughtered in the slaughter houses of the country. The government should impose a ban on opening of new slaughters houses for at least five years. This would help the country promote Halal meat export and get its due share in $3,000 billion international Halal meat market
Saifi said that due to smuggling of animals, the prices of sacrifices animals this year have increased by at least 35 percent. He said besides mutton/beef, the animals provide dairy products and help run at least 14 industries. He said China is ready to buy entire waste of the slaughtered animals. He expressed his confidence that Pakistan can solve all its economic problems by help increase Halal food export and promotion of livestock.
Source: https://www.brecorder.com/news/4333608
