ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday approved Pakistan’s halal meat export policy, directing authorities to draw up a three-year action plan aimed at targeting Muslim and global markets, his office said.

Pakistan has attempted in recent months to increase its halal meat exports to other Muslim countries, such as Malaysia. Both countries announced they had agreed to a $200 million halal meat trade quota during Sharif’s visit to the country in October. 

Sharif chaired a meeting on Thursday to review Pakistan’s halal meat export policy, in which officials informed him that Pakistan’s halal meat production stands at 6 million metric tons. Officials told the prime minister that after fulfilling local demand, a substantial quantity of the meat is available for export. 

“A coordinated and comprehensive strategy, developed in collaboration with all relevant federal ministries and provincial governments, is essential to secure a significant share for Pakistan in the halal meat markets of Muslim countries and worldwide,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) quoted Sharif as saying. 

A 2024 report by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said the country exported meat worth $512 million last year, which included beef, mutton and poultry.

The new export strategy outlines regulatory reforms, disease control measures and upgraded slaughterhouse standards that fulfill the global criteria. 

Sharif directed authorities to present a proposal within two weeks to improve cold storage facilities and halal meat production in accordance with global standards. He also called for the establishment of centers, in cooperation with the government, to enhance meat production and its nutritional value.

The prime minister assured that his government would provide support for international certification of local slaughterhouses and for their bilateral registration with other countries.

“Special steps will be taken to ensure slaughterhouses are disease-free and meet international hygiene and sanitation standards, the prime minister directed,” the PMO statement said. 

According to the PBS, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) remained Pakistan’s top meat export market in 2024 with exports to the Gulf nation reaching $201 million. Meanwhile, meat exports to Saudi Arabia recorded a growth of 65.1 percent last year at $141 million. 

Other major destinations for meat exports include Kuwait, Qatar, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Kazakhstan, while China and Kyrgyzstan are among new markets where Pakistan exports meat.

Private Pakistani companies have also stepped up efforts recently to boost meat exports to Muslim countries and other nations. 

In September, Karachi-based private company, The Organic Meat Company Limited (TOMCL), secured a $7.5 million order to export cooked or heat-treated frozen boneless beef to China, followed by an $8.1 million contract with Gold Crest Trading FZE for frozen boneless beef exports to the UAE for industrial and household processing.

In November, TOMCL said it was targeting the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Chinese, Canadian and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) markets to expand its global footprint.