Summary The initiative seeks to boost meat and dairy production, improve compliance with international standards and expand Pakistan’s share in global export markets.
ISLAMABAD (APP) - The Punjab government has unveiled a Rs149.9 billion public private investment plan to strengthen the meat and dairy value chains across the province, aiming to raise Pakistan’s livestock exports beyond $4 billion through modern slaughterhouses, processing facilities, disease control measures, supply chain reforms and farmer support programmes.
Official documents available with Wealth Pakistan describe the livestock sector as one of the country’s most promising untapped export industries.
The initiative seeks to boost meat and dairy production, improve compliance with international standards and expand Pakistan’s share in global export markets.
Pakistan’s meat exports currently stand at $517 million, accounting for just 0.3 per cent of the global meat market.
The United Arab Emirates remains the largest destination, receiving 38.4 per cent of exports, followed by Saudi Arabia with 29.1 per cent, Kuwait with 9.4 per cent and Qatar with 6.3 per cent.
Under the proposed programme, the government will provide Rs59 billion in financing support while private sector investment is expected to reach Rs70 billion across the livestock value chain.
The meat value chain plan covers the entire production cycle from farm gate livestock to slaughtered carcasses, chilled and frozen meat, edible offal, processed meat products, by products and the gelatin and collagen industry.
Planned investments include meat processing plants costing Rs2.7 billion per unit, modern slaughterhouses and meat offal processing facilities at Rs2.1 billion per unit, commercial scale feedlots at Rs750 million per unit, corporate feedlots at Rs4 billion per unit and integrated meat packing houses costing Rs4 billion each.
The private sector is expected to invest Rs65 billion in the meat value chain, while the government will provide a financing subsidy of Rs19.1 billion to strengthen certification systems and ensure compliance with international standards.
According to the documents, the initiative is projected to increase milk and meat yields by 25 per cent, create more than 15,000 jobs each in the meat and dairy sectors and boost meat exports by 200 per cent.
Post slaughter losses are also expected to decline by 12 per cent, while milk and meat imports could be reduced by $40 million.
The government has also proposed investments to strengthen the dairy value chain through milk processing facilities, milk collection centres, cold chain logistics, livestock financing, farmer training, disease control measures and supply chain support systems.
