LAHORE: Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) can play a pivotal role for enhancing Pakistani exports in the poultry products and live animals markets of Saudi Arabia.
This was stated by Usamah Al Saleh, Director Quarantine Department and Head of four-member Saudi Delegation, during his meeting with the Director General TDAP Lahore Sher Afgan Khan. He said that Saudi Arabia is world’s largest importer of live animals for slaughtering purposes during the Hajj. Being Muslim brothers, Pakistan can garner significant export benefits from trade in the Saudi market, he added.
While expressing his views during his current visit to the different sites in Pakistan, Usamah observed that he had not found any level of difference between the standards of poultry units operated in Pakistan as compared to that in Saudi Arabia and USA. “Both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are Islamic countries and in this regard, Halal foods and slaughtering of animals in Islamic way is common,” Usamah said and hoped that the import of live animals and poultry products from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia would be enhanced through mutual-trade interactions.
According to the spokesperson of TDAP, in his welcome address, Director General TDAP Sher Afgan Khan apprised the delegates about the role and working of TDAP in enhancing the export sector of Pakistan and highlighted those aspects which TDAP is on working to upscale the country’s exports. He concurred with the delegates about the potential Saudi Arabian market of fresh fruits and other food items including poultry and livestock from Pakistan.
During the meeting, Dr Bashir Mehmood Bhatti, Secretary-General and Technical Advisor to Poultry Association of Pakistan said that after visiting the Reference lab for poultry diseases and looking into the work done in Pakistan on the prevention of diseases, health standards, certification criteria and bird flu issues, the delegation is convinced that Pakistan is in position of exporting poultry and livestock to Saudi Arabia.
Director General TDAP Sher Afgan Khan was assisted by senior officers including Mrs Roubina Toufeeq Shah, Riaz Ahmed, Baqir Hussain and Salman Jamil, respectively, while the Saudi delegates included Islmail Ibrahim, Waleed Aljohani and Irrem Salam and Pakistani co-ordinator from Saudi Arabia Abdul Waheed Khawaja.
