Meat traders have welcomed the decision by the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) to give access to Pakistani beef exports, saying that it has been a long-standing demand of the industry.
This comes after GACC granted access to Pakistani heat-treated beef to enter the Chinese market, China Economic Net (CEN) reported on Tuesday quoting an official statement that was released on June 11.
Pakistan Meat Processors & Exporters representative Mian Abdul Hannan and Progressive Group’s Central leader and LCCI Executive Member Muhammad Ejaz Tanveer on Thursday issued a joint statement stating that the development will enable exporters to earn millions of dollars as China is a huge market with high purchasing power, making it a massively untapped market for Pakistani beef and other meat product exports.
They noted that exporters must adhere to certain standards provided by Chinese authorities, while the government must cooperate with meat exporters in order to devise plans for expanding into other overseas markets.
They welcomed the incentives announced in the Federal budget for 2023-24 for the agriculture sector but stressed the need for practical measures instead of mere slogans.
Muhammad Ejaz Tanveer and Mian Abdul Hannan further added that Pakistan has a huge export potential through value addition in agriculture, livestock, and aquaculture products and the government must encourage the processing industry of these products near the rural areas to stem poverty and enable development.
More Pakistani agricultural products are tipped to reach China as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) continues to expand.
The entry of Pakistani beef into the Chinese market is a watershed moment for China-Pakistan economic cooperation. This breakthrough follows an earlier arrangement for the export of Pakistani cherries to China.