ISLAMABAD, May 25: The meat export this fiscal year stood at Rs53 billion, which has not only created shortage in the domestic market but also pushed the prices of the commodity sharply higher. Well-placed sources told Dawn on Wednesday that the meat was mainly exported to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Iran because these countries offered good prices.

The hike in price of meat was also witnessed in the domestic market because of unabated smuggling of meat and live animals to Afghanistan and Iran through porous borders.

The average price of beef in Afghanistan is Rs160 per kg (with bone) and of mutton is Rs274 per kg. The average price of beef in Tehran stood at Rs416.28 per kg (with bone) and of mutton at Rs416.28 per kg. Beef in Pakistan is sold at Rs110 per kg (with bone) and mutton at Rs230 per kg.

This price difference provided smugglers a cushion to smuggle meat to Kabul and Tehran, which resulted in not only shortage of meat in the local market, but also caused losses to national exchequers of these countries on account of tax evasion.

The statistics showed that due to this massive export and smuggling of the commodity, the average price of beef (buffalo) rose to Rs110 per kg (with bone) this year from Rs75 per kg last year. The price of beef (buffalo) without bone stood at Rs140 per kg this year as against Rs130 per kg last year.

The price of mutton increased to Rs230 per kg this year from Rs170 per kg last year. The price of beef (bachia) with bone stood at Rs130 per kg as against Rs90 per kg last year; Rs150 per kg without bone this year as against Rs130 per kg last year.

Talking to Dawn, All Pakistan Jamiatul Qureshi Meat Welfare Association President Khursheed Ahmad Qureshi said that the government had failed to check the rising price of meat across the country.

Following the government’s announcement to allow duty-free import of meat and live animals, the prices of meat, both beef and mutton, increased by around Rs10 per kg in the local market. The private sector has yet to start import of live animals or meat from India after the lapse of even two weeks of the decision.

“The government has not even communicated in writing the decision to the in-charge of Wagha border. Businessmen on both sides are waiting for a clear direction from the Pakistani government in this respect”, Mr Qureshi added.

He said that ironically the ministry of food, agriculture and livestock had awarded the contract for establishing three quarantine houses at the Wagha border to the private sector, which according to him, was not even involved in the business.

Mr Qureshi said the decision of Minfal would further promote monopoly of private sector firms which would also determine the price of live animal and meat according to their own wishes so that no benefit passed on to the poor people. The average price of high quality beef in New Delhi is Rs76 per kg, while mutton of good quality is selling at Rs197 per kg.

Mr Qureshi feared that in the absence of proper mechanism these people might smuggle the whole lot of animals or meat to Afghanistan and Iran.

He proposed to the government to allow import of live animal on the basis of population of the four provinces.