Finally, Pakistan has achieved the milestone of exporting its first meat consignment to Jordan. The development came as the government is showing interest in boosting livestock production and processing facilities in the region to meet the rising local and global demand. Reportedly, Pakistan ranks in the top 20 among global halal meat exporting nations, and a 2017 study by the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) showed that the industry was growing by 27 percent annually. It has already won its share in the Middle East regional market. So the country is becoming a global player in halal meat exports.
There is a lot of potential in the market as 30 percent Muslim population of the world prefers to consume halal meat and the country can cater to this demand by working on scientific lines. So far, Pakistani food authorities have failed to increase the level of export in food items, which is considerably low compared to the import of such items. This difference is leading to a hefty payments bill through the national exchequer. Paying for food imports can strain the resources in Pakistan where economic growth lags and foreign exchange earnings are limited. Increasing income through trade is one way they can increase country’s cash earnings. This is the reason that Pakistan needs to focus on increasing the export of its food items. Among the food items, the export of meat can yield positive results and the government needs to encourage more investors to make ventures in the meat industry. The government needs to introduce farmer-friendly policies and lay a network of roads as well as develop infrastructure in rural areas so that local farmers could transport their livestock to the urban markets with more ease. At the international level, government needs to engage experts for branding of its food items to make them more acceptable. Surely, these measures will help decrease the existing food trade deficit.
