The export of halal meat has increased to $230.2 million during fiscal year 2013-14 from US $ 211.1 million in same period last year showing an increase of 9 per cent.
The export of other food touched US$ 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, spices witnessed decrease.
As per break-up issued by the commerce division in 2012-13, halal meat fetched US $ 211.1 million in 2012-13 and US $ 230.2 million in 2013-14. Similarly, other food contributed US $ 4550.9 million in 2012-13 and US $ 4393.7 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 export of meat.
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 per cent 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 per cent on prevailing long term financing scheme for future import/purchase of machinery and also mark-up support of 1.5 per cent on export finance scheme (EFS) to inter-alia processed food, meat and meat preparation, up-gradation of rice inspection labs and subsidizing 50 per cent cost of plant and machinery for establishing processing plants for meat, fruits, vegetables, dates etc.
