Meat processing plant worth Rs206m to be set up

Smeda GM says four other public-private industrial ventures also on the cards.

MULTAN:

The federal government will set up a meat processing plant in Multan on the basis of public-private partnership with an initial cost of Rs206 million to take advantage of business opportunities in the Halal food export market.

Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda) General Manager (Operations) Anwar Kidwai told newsmen here on Friday that the government had also approved four other public-private industrial ventures.

“Two of them are meant to enhance export earnings from the traditional craft of skilled people of impoverished south Punjab,” Kidwai said.

He said that the initiatives included khaddi (hand loom) craft development and the establishment of an embroidery company in the area.

Speaking on the occasion, Smeda’s provincial chief Alamgir Chaudhry said that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had also been signed with a company from Argentina for technical assistance to move ahead with the project.

The Smeda GM said that the demand for Halal food, particularly Halal meat, was on the rise all over the world. He said that Pakistan’s share in the global Halal meat trade was minimal.

He said that the government and the private sector would spend Rs60 million each on yarn waste recycling facility. He added that efforts were being made to purchase a suitable piece of land for the purpose. He said that a mango pulp plant, which was set up in Multan jointly by Smeda and the Punjab Small Industries Corporation, was already operational.

He added that a local firm, Al-Abbas Enterprises, would set up another pulp plant with the cooperation of Smeda at a cost of Rs160 million in south Punjab.



Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2011.