ISLAMABAD: The export of halal meat has increased to $230.2 million during fiscal year 2013-14 from $211.1 million in the corresponding period last year, showing an increase of 9 percent.
The export of other food items touched $ 4393.7 million mark as the export value of some food items like rice, fish, fruits and oil seed has increased whereas export value of vegetables, tobacco, wheat, sugar and spices witnessed decrease.
As per break-up issued by Commerce Division in 2012-13, the export of halal meat fetched $211.1 million in 2012-13 and $230.2 million in 2013-14.
Similarly, other food contributed $4,550.9 million in 2012-13 and $4,393.7 million in 2013-14. Moreover, the government has taken steps to increase the export of meat and food items which included ban on commercial export of live animals from the country w.e.f. October 1, 2014 to enhance meat export.
The Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC), established with a mandate of work for production, development and export of horticulture products has conducted trainings/workshops/seminars for the capacity building of growers, processors and exporters.
It provided support to horticulture industry for country specific Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) compliance and established Hot Water Treatment Plant at Karachi on Public Private Partnership basis and Irradiation Treatment Facility at Lahore in collaboration with Atomic Energy Commission.
The government also announced some incentives under Strategic Trade Policy Framework (STPF) 2012-15 which included 50 percent subsidy on cost of plant and machinery for processing of meat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), FATA and Balochistan.
The other incentive was mark-up support of 2 percent on prevailing Long Term Financing Scheme for future import/purchase of machinery and also mark-up support of 1.5 percent on Export Finance Scheme (EFS) to inter-alia processed food, meat and meat preparation.
