Pakistan-Rise in meat prices.

PAKISTAN-The prices of meat in the local market have gone up substantially in a couple of months due to a phenomenal increase in meat exports during the first half of the current financial year.

Figures compiled by the Federal Bureau of Statistics show that Pakistan exported meat worth Rs2.829 billion during the July-December period, as against Rs1.485 billion in the same period in the previous year – an increase of 90.51 per cent.

The quantity also surged by 50.93 per cent to 13,662 metric tons, as against 9,052 tons over the corresponding period last year.

In December last year, the meat export in value and quantity went up by 161 per cent and 115 per cent, respectively. This was the sharpest increase in a single month in the country’s history.

He said the animal market had not been held in Swat for one year because of the military operation. He demanded an immediate ban on export of meat and effective action to end smuggling.