Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s initiative to expand livestock exports is welcome, particularly because it recognises the need to modernise a sector whose considerable economic potential remains underexploited. His approval of duty-free imports of superior-breed animals for specialised export farms, along with plans for disease control, traceability and international certification, addresses some longstanding weaknesses. Yet the real opportunity extends considerably beyond exporting livestock.
Pakistan must also develop a competitive, modern meat-processing and packaging industry capable of earning substantially more from the animals it raises.
The economic case is compelling. According to figures presented at the prime minister’s meeting, livestock contributes 14.97 percent to GDP and 63.6 percent to agricultural output, while supporting around eight million rural families.
Yet meat exports amounted to approximately $530 million in FY2025-26. For a country with such a substantial livestock economy, the gap between domestic production and export earnings points to considerable room for improvement.
Capturing that opportunity requires a coordinated effort across breeding, animal health, processing, packaging, storage and international marketing.
Saadat Husain, Lahore
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
Comments