20000129

BCCI submits

paper to CE on

livestock, fisheries uplift

RECORDER REPORT

QUETTA: The Balochistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry has submitted to Chief Executive Pervez Musharraf a comprehensive paper on the improvement and development of agro, livestock, fisheries and mineral-based industries in a bid to revive and restore sustainable economy with particular reference to this province, chamber chief Sardar Mohammad Ali Jogezai said here on Friday.

In the agriculture sector, the chamber has suggested setting up of four types of export-oriented industries. These include apple grading, washing and packing, dates washing, drying and packing, date syrup and fruit preservation plants at suitable sites in fruits and dates producing areas.

Sardar Jogazai said that Balochistan's apples and dates were of the finest quality capable of export to the foreign markets. He further said the pre-requisite to such export was proper grading, washing and packing of apples and dates in refrigerated containers acceptable to the international markets.

The chamber chief maintained that Balochistan has a lot of scope for horticulture and cash crops, such as apples, grapes, peaches and apricots available in abundance. The chamber has counselled to improve the crops quality, know-how training, plant saplings, seeds and grafting facilities for the grower at government level. Crops improvement programme, Chamber suggested, should be immediately implemented.

In the livestock sector, Sardar Jogezai said that the chamber had suggested setting up of six types of livestock-based export-oriented industries. These include wool washing, cleaning, scouring, postine washing, cleaning, bone meal and blood meal plants, besides sheep casing treatment units, hide and skin tannery at suitable livestock rearing areas.

Sardar Jogezai said that Pakistan had ready market for the export of livestock and chilled beef and mutton to Gulf and other countries. He said it was, therefore, necessary to make Pakistan livestock up to the international export standard through disease control, breed improvement, logistic support, feed supplement and modern practices of livestock rearing both by public and private sectors.

He said Balochistan is 43 percent of Pakistan with vast range lands. Half of Pakistan's total sheep and goats are available in Balochistan, which is in a better position to export chilled beef and mutton because of an ultra modern slaughtering house built at Quetta with the assistance of Asia Development Bank.

Jogezai said that similarly in the fisheries sector, nine kinds of export oriented fishery downstream industries could be easily set up at Gwadar, Pasni, Ormara and other coastal towns. These include cold storage, fish processing, fish packing, canning, prawn, shrimp freezing, packing, lobster and crab meat cooking and packing plants.

Moreover, he said export facilities for fish and fish-based products by sea, air and land at Gwadar and Pasni should be provided for international import-export trade.