PTA demands ban on livestock export
The chairman of the Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA), Aziz Ahmed has reiterated his demand for the government to impose a ban on the export of livestock instead of curbing the export of meat.
Mr Ahmed commented on a report that the government is considering imposing a ban on meat export for a certain period of time, saying that before taking this decision, the government should curb smuggling which is causing monetary losses to the national exchequer. “We are also losing precious livestock that is extremely important to our leather as well as export oriented meat industry,” said Mr Ahmed.
“In the recent devastating floods, over 550,000 animals including goats, cows, buffaloes and sheep drowned due to which country is facing shortage of livestock,” he said. “I fail to understand to what extent the government is benefiting with the export of livestock.”
He warned that if the government does not curb the export and smuggling of livestock, even more animals would be smuggled to the neighbouring countries including Iran and Afghanistan. “If this situation persists Pakistan may face scarcity of livestock in the near future,” he said.
He said instead of exporting livestock, the government should adopt a policy of “meat export” in order to earn more foreign exchange and provide raw material to the leather industry.
He said exports of leather were declining due to shortage of skins and hides and increasing prices of raw material.
