The recognition of livestock and dairy as vital sectors of Pakistan’s economy dates back to 1973, when they were placed under the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock. However, meaningful attention was given only in 1995, when the Livestock and Dairy Development Division was established at the federal level to strengthen national food security, rural employment, and exports. Despite these institutional steps, Pakistan’s agricultural and livestock development has remained fragmented, poorly coordinated, and largely disconnected from international trade systems such as the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The WTO is the principal global institution responsible for defining and supervising fair and transparent trade rules among nations. Pakistan joined the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1948 to gain access to international markets and build a stable trade environment. Later in 1995, the GATT was transformed into the WTO, an expanded system that brought agriculture, livestock, services, industrial goods, and intellectual property rights under a single legal and institutional framework. The WTO’s purpose is to promote free and fair trade, eliminate trade barriers, reduce unfair subsidies, and encourage equal opportunities for all member countries. It introduced several agreements such as the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA), Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement, Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), and Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). Together these agreements ensure food safety, product quality, innovation, and transparency in trade practices.

Pakistan hoped that these global trade arrangements would improve its agricultural productivity, enhance livestock and dairy production, increase exports, and strengthen its rural economy. However, even after three decades of membership, the country has failed to implement WTO’s basic requirements. There is little institutional capacity, weak policy coordination, and almost no understanding of how these trade frameworks can be converted into national advantage. The absence of accredited laboratories, certification systems, and traceability mechanisms has resulted in the repeated rejection of Pakistan’s agricultural and livestock consignments in international markets. Meat, milk, seafood, rice, and fruit exports have been frequently rejected for failing to meet sanitary and phytosanitary standards. Each year, these rejections cause millions of dollars in losses, besides damaging Pakistan’s reputation. The European Union’s ban on seafood imports from Pakistan due to poor hygiene standards and the absence of HACCP certification stands as one of the most painful examples of official negligence.

Despite these failures, many officials continue to undertake foreign visits and so-called training programs under the shadow of WTO capacity-building projects, but with no practical outcomes. The same outdated infrastructure, poor monitoring, and lack of enforcement persist at home. Such foreign tours often serve bureaucratic convenience rather than national interest.

The legal and regulatory structure of the WTO goes far beyond tariffs and quotas. It covers the entire chain of production — from seed development, cultivation, and animal health to storage, transportation, and final export. The TRIPS agreement protects intellectual property rights on innovations, vaccines, and agricultural technology. Yet, Pakistan has never seriously addressed the issue of patents and intellectual property rights. The absence of this system has discouraged local research and prevented scientists and breeders from securing recognition or financial benefit for their innovations. Consequently, dependence on imported vaccines, feed, and seed has increased while local productivity has declined.

Another key area of neglect is the WTO’s dispute resolution mechanism, designed to protect the rights of member countries against unfair trade practices. Pakistan has never effectively used this international legal platform, even when its exporters suffered from discriminatory measures. This failure reflects the lack of technical expertise and institutional understanding among officials responsible for international trade.

The educational and awareness gap is equally alarming. Graduates entering agriculture, veterinary, and food technology sectors are rarely aware of WTO rules, quality standards, and global compliance systems. Without this knowledge, institutions cannot build credible export frameworks. It is therefore essential that WTO laws, food safety standards, and export compliance mechanisms be included in all undergraduate programs related to agriculture, veterinary, and animal sciences. This will help future professionals understand the realities of international trade and implement them effectively once they join government or private organizations.

Pakistan’s negligence toward WTO compliance has caused deep economic consequences. Rejections of meat and dairy consignments due to the absence of disease-free certification, rejection of fruit exports such as mangoes for exceeding residue limits, and the continued seafood ban have together caused multi-million-dollar annual losses. These losses have not only reduced foreign exchange earnings but also created unemployment in related industries. Without upgrading laboratories, ensuring product traceability, and implementing sanitary and phytosanitary standards, Pakistan’s agricultural and livestock exports will continue to face barriers in global markets.

If this situation continues, it will become increasingly difficult for Pakistani exporters to compete internationally. Modern global trade is no longer determined by price alone; it depends on strict compliance with quality assurance, animal welfare, traceability, and environmental standards. Countries failing to meet these standards face exclusion from high-value global supply chains. Once trust is lost, regaining access to premium markets becomes an expensive and lengthy process.

Future progress requires serious structural reforms and a new mindset. Pakistan must establish accredited testing and certification laboratories in every province, ensure disease-free zone certification for livestock, create a national traceability network for dairy and meat products, and harmonize its domestic laws with WTO’s agricultural and SPS frameworks. Exporters and officials should be trained in WTO-compliant trade procedures, and universities should develop specialized curricula to produce technically equipped graduates.

In addition, Pakistan must learn from the experiences of countries like China, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Iran, and Bangladesh, which successfully used WTO membership to modernize agriculture, upgrade laboratories, and expand exports. These countries invested heavily in research, technology, and farmer training, creating high-value markets for their agricultural and livestock products.

In the past, Pakistan’s policymakers have often used WTO meetings as an excuse for foreign travel rather than an opportunity for reform. But now the situation demands urgent change. Without real compliance, transparency, and modernization, Pakistan risks permanent exclusion from global trade networks. The world is moving toward science-based, quality-driven, and compliance-certified trade. Pakistan can no longer rely on traditional methods or outdated systems.

If serious steps are taken now, Pakistan can turn its agricultural and livestock potential into a competitive strength. Ensuring WTO compliance will open global markets, increase farmers’ income, enhance food security, and stabilize the national economy. Ignoring it further will only deepen isolation, economic loss, and loss of credibility in international trade. The future of Pakistan’s agriculture, livestock, and dairy development depends on one decisive choice — to reform, comply, and compete, or remain left behind.

Dr. Alamdar Hussain Malik
Advisor, Veterinary Sciences
University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Swat.
Former,Secretary/ Registrar, Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council.