The All Pakistan Meat Processors & Exporters Association (APMEA) has urged the government to take notice of reasons behind declining halal meat exports and announce an incentive package for this industry which, if supported, can help national exports taking a giant leap.
APMEA Chairman Nasib Ahmad Saifi claimed that halal meat exports have fallen by 43 percent during the period of September to November 2017 as compared to the same period of year 2016. He claimed that the industry was in hot waters because of different issues coupled with surprise checking from authorities of various importing countries. He alleged that the government agencies working to support the industry had no clue of these surprise checking.
He claimed that due to worst situation 10 meat processing and slaughtering units had been closed down including two chicken meat processing units and eight red meat processing units.
Saifi also claimed that billions of rupees were stuck in different Arab countries against the importers and such defaulting companies were not even replying to their letters. He urged the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and other government agencies to take notice of this situation and bring the meat exporting units from the liquidity crunch they were facing because of this default.
He was of the view that all the exporting sectors should be given incentives in line with the facilities being extended to textile sector. He said that supporting exports sector would not only create new job opportunities but also add to the revenue of the government.
Saifi said he had recently submitted some proposals to the Ministry of Food Security & Research for enhancing exports from Pakistan which include abolishing live animal export quota as instead of it export of value-added products can help the government earn more revenue as processed meat and allied products are sold at higher prices in international markets rather than selling live animals at low value.
The energy cost is one of very important segment in our input cost thus it is requested that the electricity should be provided on a subsidized rate to this sector as is being given to textile, the APMPE Association chairman added.
He claimed that 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 effective implementation.
Saifi said that commercial officers appointed at various Pakistani foreign missions must contribute to introduce halal Pakistani meat and its products in their respective areas of jurisdiction, especially Turkey, Central Asian countries, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Lebanon and Morocco. In this regard, the communication between the Ministry of Food Security and Foreign Office will surely work.
Concluding his remarks, Saifi said in proposed livestock zones in Cholistan area of the province. Actual owners of meat processing and export units must be allotted land for livestock farming, so they can enhance their capacity and production of meat, he further suggested.
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حکومت میٹ ایکسپورٹرز کو فارمنگ کے لئے چولستان میں جگہ الاٹ کرے ۔ نصیب احمد سیفی