Enhancing dairy sector export competitiveness - International Trade ...

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ENHANCING DAIRY SECTOR EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS IN PAKISTANIn response to the above obligation, the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) hasbeen nominated as the national enquiry point on standardization, conformity assessment, legal metrologyand technical services. Other than PSQCA, the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research(PCSIR) is providing technical testing and quality control services to exporters and is issuing analyticalreports/ certifications that are currently being accepted by other countries including the European Union.Exportable food items including milk and milk products are also being tested by PCSIR for microbialcontamination and shelf life.Domestic Compliance of International Standards - The National Animal and PlantHealth Inspection Service (NAPHIS)As discussed earlier, Pakistan lacks a coherent and integrated system for the management of SPSmeasures, technical regulations and standards. Due to this the country faces frequent restrictions andbans on exports of agricultural and industrial products by other countries.In view of above, a Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) funded project called the IntegratedNational Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (NAPHIS) is being implemented under the newlyformulated Ministry of National Food Security and Research. The project titles “Special Program forStrengthening SPS Facilities and Quality Inspection Services in Compliance with WTO - Establishment ofan Integrated National Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (NAPHIS)”. With an estimated budgetof PKR 415 million, it is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year 2012. The specific objectives ofthe project include: 66(i) Capacity building of agricultural line departments for international accreditation;(ii) Ensuring compliance of national/international food safety laws for better trade,(iii) Developing an integrated SPS Management/ Inspection and Quality Control and Certificationsystem for exports and imports;(iv) Coordinating and integrating provincial SPS management systems with that of the federal one;(v) To be the focal point for SPS related issues and to establish NAPHIS as the regulatory authorityon SPS measures in Pakistan.NAPHIS is currently coordinating with UNIDO under the TRTA II program to develop a suitable model forintegrated food safety and SPS management in Pakistan. It is also operating as a “Think Tank” fortechnical input on national and international levels for Pakistan.Environmental Impact of the Dairy IndustryIt has been established internationally that the dairy industry has significant direct and indirect impact onthe environment. In countries like Pakistan where proper waste management practices are largely ignored,livestock has a direct impact on the environment due to the emission of organic matter, uncheckedgreenhouse gases, drug and pesticide residues which pollute the water bodies and soil.As the number of animals in the dairy sector increases (as reflected in Table 2, Section I), the need forfeeding them also increases in the same proportion. As grazing is one of the main sources of livestockfeed, an increase in its population is putting pressure on the forage grown on lands. In one way this isleading to depletion of land resources due to over-grazing and on the other, it is indirectly increasingcompetition for feed resources.In the formal sector, the dairy processing companies are contributing to environmental degradation bypolluting the water bodies through liquid waste from washing and cleaning operations and solid waste from66 NAPHIS, Ministry of National Food Security and Research61
ENHANCING DAIRY SECTOR EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS IN PAKISTANpackaging material such as tetrapak cartons. It is interesting to note that the UHT processing causes lessair damage through energy emissions whereas pasteurization is a bigger culprit that uses excessiveenergy during processing, refrigeration and transportation. Hence, there is a need for the government tomake a concrete proposal of either encouraging pasteurized milk processing or the UHT mode of milkprocessing, keeping in view the impact of the both on the environment and welfare of consumers andeconomy as a whole.The Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997 requires milk and dairy processing facilities to undergoInitial Environmental Examination (IEE) at the time of commencing construction of the facility 67 or in casethe facility 68 is likely to have adverse environmental effects, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) isto be carried out by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA). However, compliance to these regulationsis very weak in Pakistan. This aspect of the industry has also been ignored in the Livestock and DairyDevelopment Policy of 2007.The issue and opportunity of biogas generation in the dairy industry has also not be considered or availedseriously. “The Pakistan Domestic Biogas Program” (PDGP) was initiated in January 2009 by the RuralSupport Programme with the financial assistance of SNV (Netherlands Development Organization) andunder the consultancy of Winrock International. The main objective of the project was to raise thelivelihoods of rural farmers and improve their quality of life by establishing a commercially viable biogassector in Pakistan. The project, having set a target of establishing 14,000 biogas plants by the end of 2012,has not been able to foster its progress and has been able to construct only 70 biogas plants in the firstyear of its operation. The main reason is the preoccupation of its managers in streamlining itsinfrastructure, marketing and establishing linkages with various stakeholder organizations which is takingmuch of its time. 6967 Dairy facility with a total cost of less than Rs. 100 million (SMEDA)68 Dairy facility with a total cost of Rs. 100 million and above(SMEDA)69 Rural Support Program Network (RSPN), Pakistan Domestic Biogas Program (PDBP), http://rspn.org/our_projects/pdbp.html62
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