Halal meat production in Pakistan: status and prospects

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore halal meat production potential and export potential in Pakistan. Following this, the paper is to both stimulate the business and encourage research within this field.Design/methodology/approachFor this study, both primary and secondary data were used. Time-series meat production and export data from 1994-1995 to 2015-2016 were collected from different secondary sources; where primary data were collected from distinguish livestock experts on the possibility of halal meat production in various provinces of the country.FindingsResults show that during 1994-1995 to 2015-2016, annual average growth rates of meat production and export were 3 and 32%, respectively. Based on these growth rates, it was estimated that Pakistan's total meat production and export is projected to be 6,078 thousand tons and $17,477m by 2029-2030. Results regarding the expert opinion survey indicates that Balochistan province has comparative advantage to rare livestock for beef and mutton meat production over rest of the provinces; there is potency for producing chicken meat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and Punjab provinces, while Sindh province has almost the same efficiency to produce beef and chicken meat.Practical implicationsExperts were in opinion that high yielding livestock breeds should be introduced to farmers; and comprehensive training programs should be designed for all the stockholders involved in meat production, and processing to exports chains. Therefore, it is suggested that registered and corporate livestock farming can be only solution to fulfill required standards of raw and processed meat business in international markets.Originality/valueAt current, halal meat export is considered as major activity of livestock sector of Pakistan: where, this is one of the pioneer studies exploring potential of halal meat production in various parts of the country, which can not only contribute in national income but support the balance of payments of the country.