Russia to dispatch team for meat quality inspection

LAHORE: Russian government will soon send its inspection team to examine standards of abattoirs in Pakistan in a bid to start meat imports from the country, a foreign official said. 

“We need meat imports (from Pakistan) into the federation,” Head of Moscow-based Business Club Igor Kolesov said during a visit.  The two-member delegation was on a four-day visit (24 to 27 July) to hold business meetings to explore opportunities of importing meat, rice and other products from Pakistan, according to a statement.

Kolesov said meetings with meat exporters remained fruitful.  Punjab Halal Development Agency (PHDA) invited the delegation to enhance business relations between the two countries.  Pakistan has a very minuscule share of $240 million in the global meat exports market of $1.5 billion. 

The Centre for Applied Policy Research in Livestock, in its policy paper, said the country’s halal market could increase its share in foreign trade if cap over local meat prices is removed and standards of meat and meat products are brought at par with the international standards.

The country is mainly exporting meat to Middle East. There are 17 meat processing units operating in the country, while there are only 35 meat exporters.     

The Russian delegation also met with rice and cheese exporters. The Punjab Halal Development Agency also arranged the delegation’s meetings with the officials of State Bank of Pakistan, National Bank of Pakistan and Meezan Bank to explore joint venture opportunities. 

The delegation, during a meeting with the bank’s officials, said bilateral banking channels should be improved to increase trade between the two countries. Bilateral trade volume between Russia and Pakistan stands at around $400 million compared with the latter’s annual exports and imports of $70 billion. 

Kolesov of Business Club said their meetings with Pakistani exporters, especially Guard Rice, was a great achievement as both agreed to trade on a mega level in future. Elena Kholod, senior vice president at Tembr Bank Moscow said opening of Pakistani bank branches in Moscow would help in enhancing bilateral trade.

Khalil-ur-Rehman, chairman of PHDA said the agency is trying to give maximum support to local export industry to boost exports, which eventually will benefit the economy of the country.