Pakistan’s livestock, milk, dairy and meat sector — often described as the backbone of the rural economy — remains alarmingly underperforming in global markets. Despite being the fourth-largest milk producer in the world with an estimated annual milk output of about 65 million metric tons and producing approximately 5.97 million tons of meat annually (ranking 12th globally), Pakistan earns only a fraction of the export revenues achieved by other countries with similar or even smaller resources. The issue is not lack of production or potential — it is systemic failure across disease control, value-chain management, certification, and institutional coordination.

Recent figures show that although Pakistan produces massive quantities of milk, only about 3–5 percent is processed through formal value-added channels; the rest is sold unprocessed through informal markets. In contrast, dairy-exporting nations such as New Zealand and Australia convert most of their milk into powder, cheese, butter, and other value-added dairy products, earning billions of dollars annually. Even India, which consumes most of its 239 million tons domestically, maintains a highly organized and export-ready dairy structure. Pakistan, by comparison, earns barely US $30–40 million annually from milk and dairy-product exports — a figure that has actually declined from over US $70 million a decade ago.

The meat sector tells a similar story. Although the country produces nearly 6 million tons of meat, less than 3 percent of it is exported. In FY 2023–24, Pakistan’s total exports of meat and meat products amounted to US $512 million — an increase over previous years, yet still negligible compared to its potential. Competing nations have performed far better: Brazil exported 2.9 million tons of beef in 2024, earning around US $12–13 billion, while Australia exported over 70 percent of its beef production valued at nearly US $20 billion. New Zealand’s combined red-meat and dairy-product exports dominate its foreign-exchange earnings. Pakistan’s absence of disease-free certification, traceability systems, and cold-chain logistics continues to confine its livestock sector to low-value domestic markets instead of high-return international destinations.

The disparity between production and export performance reveals deep-rooted institutional neglect. Pakistan’s inability to comply with international Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) standards has repeatedly led to rejection of consignments and market bans — especially from the European Union and Gulf countries. Endemic diseases such as Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) still prevail, as Pakistan has yet to establish internationally recognized disease-free zones. Animal identification, record-keeping, and traceability systems — mandatory in most exporting countries — remain virtually absent. Slaughterhouses across the country, whether public or private, are often outdated, lacking hygienic layouts, chilling facilities, effluent treatment, and certifications like HACCP or ISO 22000.

Moreover, the export-certification framework is fragmented among multiple uncoordinated bodies — including provincial livestock departments, the Pakistan Halal Authority, the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), and public veterinary laboratories. This overlap discourages exporters and erodes buyers’ confidence. Unlike Australia, New Zealand, or Brazil, where a single veterinary authority issues globally recognized export health certificates, Pakistan’s exporters face inconsistent regulations and bureaucratic hurdles at every step.

Responsibility for this persistent failure lies across multiple tiers of governance. The Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR) bears the lead responsibility for national livestock-export policy, SPS compliance, and disease-free-zone establishment. Provincial livestock departments are tasked with field implementation — vaccination, inspection, and extension services — but their performance remains uneven and poorly monitored. The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), mandated to promote exports, has done little to build technical capacity among exporters. Public veterinary laboratories remain unaccredited internationally, preventing them from issuing globally acceptable certificates. Even the Pakistan Halal Authority, created to enhance halal exports, lacks consistent standards and recognition from key importing nations.

The economic cost of this collective negligence is staggering. According to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2024–25, livestock contributes 14.6 percent to GDP and nearly 61 percent to agricultural value added, yet livestock exports remain below US $600 million. If just 8–10 percent of meat and 15 percent of milk output were processed into internationally certified dairy products, Pakistan’s livestock exports could exceed US $3–4 billion annually. The country thus loses an estimated US $2.5–3 billion every year in unrealized foreign-exchange potential — an amount that could significantly strengthen the national balance of payments and uplift millions of rural households.

The success of leading livestock-exporting nations rests not on natural advantage but on institutional discipline and governance. Brazil achieved export dominance through rigorous disease surveillance and a unified certification system. Australia and New Zealand rely on traceability and laboratory excellence. India built strong cooperative structures ensuring hygiene and quality. Pakistan, with similar potential, continues to lag due to fragmented systems, outdated facilities, and weak enforcement.

To reverse this decline, Pakistan urgently needs a National Livestock Export Enhancement Plan led by the MNFSR, setting measurable goals, timelines, and transparent reporting mechanisms. Provincial departments must modernize slaughterhouses, strengthen vaccination programs, and establish partnerships with international certification bodies. The TDAP should facilitate exporter training and financing for compliance infrastructure. Veterinary laboratories must achieve international accreditation within a fixed timeline. Above all, Pakistan must implement an integrated national traceability system linking farms to slaughterhouses, dairy plants, and export points to ensure full compliance with SPS and halal standards.

The potential rewards are immense — but the cost of continued inaction is even greater. With more than half of its agricultural GDP tied to livestock, milk, and dairy products, Pakistan’s economic future depends on whether it can transform production strength into export success. Unless both federal and provincial authorities accept their responsibilities and act decisively, Pakistan will keep producing abundantly yet earning negligibly — while competitors continue to dominate the global halal-meat and dairy markets.

Dr. Alamdar Hussain Malik
Advisor, Veterinary Sciences, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Swat.
Former,Financial Advisor, Finance Division, Government of Pakistan.