Egypt to import meat from Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Egypt cleared imports from 10 meat producers from Pakistan, Arab News quoted Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, as saying, on Friday.

The adviser in a tweet informed of the decision saying, “Congratulations to ten slaughterhouses from Pakistan which have been approved by the Egypt’s Veterinary Quarantine Department for export of meat to Egypt. This has been done as a result of (an) audit conducted by the Egyptian Veterinary authorities.”

“This is a part of our policy of geographical and product diversification. Our exporters are urged to go full speed ahead to capitalise on this opportunity as this sector has immense potential,” he added.

Pakistan ranks in the top 20 countries in the global halal meat exports, and a 2017 study by the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) showed that the industry was growing 27 per cent annually.

The country’s exports of meat and meat preparations went up by 10 per cent in the last fiscal year to $334 million, though they declined by 4 per cent during the first two months of the current fiscal year to $49.55 million, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

Pakistani meat producers have lately seen a series of import clearance notifications coming from the Middle East.

Last month, Jordan allowed three Pakistani producers, including The Organic Meat Company Limited (TOMCL), to export meat to the kingdom.

TOMCL last year became the first Pakistani company to get a contract of $3.9 million from Saudi Food & Drug Authority to export 100 metric tons of frozen boneless meat to Saudi Arabia.

In September, the Karachi-based halal meat processing and export enterprise secured a $1 million contract to supply frozen boneless meat to Saudi Arabia for a period of 10 months.