Pakistan Establishes Meat Export Zone For China

Pakistan has established a meat export zone in Bahawalpur Division to produce world standard quality meat for supply to world markets, with special focus on China

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st May, 2021 ) :Pakistan has established a meat export zone in Bahawalpur Division to produce world standard quality meat for supply to world markets, with special focus on China.

"In order to exploit the huge potential of meat exports to Chinese market, the Livestock and Dairy Development Department of Punjab has established a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) free zone in Bahawalpur Division," a senior official in the Ministry of National food Security and Research said .

The zone would help the country to fulfill the international requirements for penetrating global markets, besides taking maximum advantages of agriculture cooperation under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

Talking to APP here on Friday, he said that in this regard an updated technical matrix on establishment of FMD free zones proposed by Livestock and Dairy Development Department, Punjab had also been shared with the Chinese side.

The team of Chinese experts was also invited ion to visit the facility, he said adding that it was expected that Chinese experts would soon visit for inspection to start meet export to that country.

Pakistan had expressed its interest to the Chinese side for export of boneless meat to China, which was considered free from Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), he added.

In this regard, he said visit of the Chinese inspector and experts was also expected to observe state of the art meat processing facilities in the country.

Beside this, he said that 18 projects worth around Rs 83 billion had been identified in agriculture sector under the multi-billion Dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Project, with an aim to exploit its true potential and modernize it for the sustainable economic growth.

He further informed that agriculture development was the main component of the second-phase of CPEC and both China and Pakistan were determined to exploit this sector for mutual benefit.

About twelve short, medium and long-term projects identified by the China-Pakistan Joint Working Groups (JWG), which were related to Livestock Wing, Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFS&R) and Livestock and Dairy Development Department.

So far two meeting of China-Pakistan JWG on Agricultural Cooperation had taken place, he said adding that first meeting of the group was held on November, 2019 and second meeting was held on April 20,2020.

The two sides had agreed for conducting third meeting of JWG in 2021, which would be held in Beijing and open new vistas of cooperation in the field of agriculture sector development.

About six projects were related to research and development to be executed by Pakistan Agricultural Research Council while one project has been identified for the establishment of Aquaculture Park in Costal Areas of Pakistan, he added.

He further informed that Livestock Wing of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research had also provided requisite information to China for for export of poultry products to China and invited Chinese technical team to visit Pakistan for inspection of poultry establishments.