Meating up the halal meat market

Almost all Pakistanis will agree that meat in Pakistan is the most delectable ingredient in a majority of peoples favourite meals; be it muttonchops, beef chillies, biryani or quorma.
So does the Punjab Government, which is exploring the possibility of making Punjab a "Regional Base for Halal Meat Export" - a move in the right direction considering the huge potential market for export of halal meat.
Representatives of the Sindh Dairy & Breeding Farm told BR Research that the biggest importers of meat from Pakistan are Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE and Iraq. These countries prefer meat from Pakistan because of their requirements for strict Islamic codes governing animal slaughters.
Malaysia has also been showing an avid interest in importing meat from Pakistan, particularly after the signing of the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries in 2007.
Industry sources claim that Malaysia has the potential to import 60,000 tons of meat from Pakistan per annum, but procedural and regulatory requirements are stalling the initiation of exports to the country.
On a broader note, meat exports from Pakistan have shown a rising trend, standing at $120.7 million in FY10 from $90 million in FY09, a rise of about 34 percent over the previous year.
International media sources covering meat trade indicate that while the production of meat in Pakistan stood at 2.2 million tons annually in 2008-09, only 2 percent of the total was exported, indicating that tremendous export potential still exists for Pakistan.
Given the scenario, the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT) is aiming high as it recommends targeting the EU market for halal meat exports over the longer term while focusing on the Middle East and Malaysian markets as a short-term strategy.
This laudable plan appears very promising as the halal meat market in the UK is worth nearly £3 billion, according to a UK-based financial consultant recently involved with a meat products company.
The real surprise is that while there are 2.5 million Muslims in the UK, according to UK Food Safety Authority, there are 6 million consumers of halal meat nationwide. This is a very strong indication that potential for halal meat exports exists even amongst non-Muslim consumers.
Though a promising market for meat from Pakistan, EU nations follow defined regulations for meat trade - the most important one being the traceability mechanism in the meat value chain. According to this requirement, every link in the meat supply chain has to be transparent, including the source from which the meat originated.
To address this condition, the PBIT recently facilitated the pilot launch of Belgium Blue Cattle Farms in Pakistan - a project funded by the EU for livestock tagging and information management.
Besides that, European countries have distinct shelf lives for meat, and it has to be transported to the destination within a specified period. Limited air cargo space and inadequate cooling facilities in transport systems makes it tricky for Pakistan to meet this requirement.
Smuggling of livestock to Iran and Afghanistan, speculated to be 5000 animals daily, is also a major threat to not only the international, but also the local market, as is the lack of export-approved slaughterhouses. These need to be tactfully addressed by the government.
Dealing with these problems and increasing tactful marketing efforts are bound to help Pakistans livestock market thrive internationally.