Lahore, May 26, 2015 - USAID Director for Punjab Dr. Miles Toder inaugurated the 2015 Pakistan Meat Festival that brought together livestock producers, meat packers, and exporters to network and discuss business development and marketing within the sector. The U.S, government supported the event through the Agribusiness Project of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with the Agribusiness Support Fund.

“The U.S. Government is committed to helping Pakistan’s meat producing industry and other important stakeholders to develop quality standards to compete in lucrative international meat markets,” said Dr. Toder at the inauguration. “With a large cattle population, a traditional halal meat industry and a growing international Muslim community, Pakistan has a competitive advantage to become a key player in global meat exports,” he added.

Pakistan is the world’s 5th largest livestock producer and to take advantage of the growing international Halal sector, USAID’s Agriculture Project is working with progressive stakeholders to increase value-added products and to adopt international quality standards in natural cattle fattening operations, meat processing, packaging, and exports.

“The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) is making concerted efforts to introduce non-traditional Pakistani products like halal meat, fruits and vegetables to different parts of the world. TDAP fully supports the USAID Agribusiness Project, so that the Pakistani meat industry can participate in international trade fairs, which will help increase overall exports,” said Director General TDAP Mr. Sher Afghan on the occasion.

The Agribusiness Project provides training and international expertise to develop internationally accepted standards for traceable rearing of beef breeds and processing of high value meat-cuts. Livestock farmers and slaughterhouses throughout Pakistan are adopting standards and best practices, investing in modern technology, and making inroads into the international market with assistance from the U.S. Government.