Pakistan eyes increased halal meat exports
For the next decade, Pakistan plans to become a major halal food export country. A new policy for livestock industry in the country has been approved and it is ready to implement in the following years. Currently, the country's meat exports are worth $290 million but the new policy aims to increase the exports of halal meat, milk, butter, and other products, in order to catch a larger market share in the global halal food market.
Food security, poverty reduction, and increase in national income are also among the key targets of the policy. The share of agriculture in the country is 60.7%, and economic growth is 11.6%, but the livestock sector has been inconsistent in the past.
However, the incumbent government drafted the first livestock policy for food security, poverty reduction, and increase in national income, intending to double-digit growth in the livestock sector by 2025 with the help of the private sector.
According to the policy document, the employment of more than 8 million farmers in Pakistan is related to livestock, and the annual growth of this sector is only 4%.
In addition, modern organic livestock farming is planned to boost the number of farm animals, which currently lie at 120 million, and legislation will also be enacted to establish Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health Authority. Emphasis has been placed on allocating more funds for research on food safety, and modern laboratory systems.
The policy has also proposed the establishment of model meat production farms. It is proposed to give priority to trade in live animals and livestock products. In 2020, the livestock industry contributed 60.6 % to overall agriculture and 11.7 % to the GDP.
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