ISLAMABAD: The China market carries vast potential for Pakistani meat exports particularly beef, says a report carried by Gwadar Pro on Tuesday.
Pakistan’s meat and meat products exports have reached new heights, surpassing $512 million in the fiscal year 2024—a remarkable 20 percent increase from the previous year.
This growth, driven by a 24 percent rise in export volume to 123,515 tonnes, was fueled by strong international demand and competitive pricing, aided by the depreciation of the Pakistani rupee.
While the UAE and Saudi Arabia remain the top destinations for Pakistani meat exports, Kuwait and Qatar are emerging as promising markets.
China, with its 1.41 billion consumers and growing demand for imported food products, is also poised to become a key market for Pakistani meat exports.
China’s meat consumption is forecasted to reach 102.53 million tons by 2033, with annual growth of 0.3 percent, according to projections from the 2024 China Agriculture Outlook Conference in Beijing.
Within this, beef and lamb consumption is expected to reach 11.1 million and 6.46 million tonnes, respectively, with average annual growth rates of 1.2 percent and 1.4 percent.
Bilal Tata, CEO of Tata Best Foods—a pioneering Pakistani company licensed by the Chinese Customs Administration to export cooked beef to China since last year—emphasized the significance of the Chinese market for Pakistan’s meat exports.
“China’s role in driving Pakistan’s meat export growth cannot be underestimated,” said Mr. Tata.
“Pakistan is well-positioned to offer high-quality chilled meat from young cattle at competitive prices, helping us maintain a significant share in chilled meat markets, including China.”
However, Mr. Tata acknowledged the challenges Pakistan faces in expanding its market share in China due to current restrictions limiting exports to cooked meat products.
To address this, Tata Best Foods and other Pakistani meat exporters are actively seeking to attract Chinese brands to set up production facilities in Pakistan.
“Instead of merely exporting generic boiled beef, we are exploring collaborations with Chinese brands to bring their expertise to Pakistan, enabling us to meet the diverse needs of the Chinese market,” he added.
Mr. Tata also emphasized the need for approval to export raw meat products from disease-free zones in Pakistan to China.
“We are working tirelessly to meet the necessary health and safety standards to ensure that Pakistani raw meat products can be exported to China,” he said.
Recognizing the potential of the meat export sector, the Punjab government is playing a pivotal role in certifying livestock farms as disease-free units.
“Through these disease-free farms, we hope China and other countries will allow the import of raw beef from Pakistan, further boosting our exports and creating new growth opportunities,” said Mr. Tata.
