ISLAMABAD: Robert Mack, Director, Public Affairs Europe, Middle East & Africa for Tetra Pak along with Jorge Montero, Chief Executive Officer, Tetra Pak Pakistan called on Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan to apprise regarding future investment, plans, challenges of the dairy industry and the support required for investment plans from the Government, Press Information Department reported.[the_ad id=”32940″]Livestock is a renewable natural resource and one of the most vibrant and significant sector in the agrarian economy of Pakistan. Livestock over the years has emerged as the largest sector in agriculture by contributing approximately 58.9% of the agriculture value added and 11.1% to the national GDP.

The government has now focused this sector for economic growth, food security and poverty alleviation in the country. Pakistan is one of the leading milk producing country in the world with estimated annual gross milk production of 59.8 Million tons during 2018-19.

Around 6% of total country’s gross milk production is being processed in 25 milk/ dairy processing plants operating under the private sector and producing approximately 3.5 million tons of processed milk/ dairy products annually.

Tetra Pak is a major foreign investor in Pakistan and operating for the last more than a decade. Tetra Pak plant near Lahore is capable of producing over 9 billion packages annually. Over the last seven years, the cumulative value of their exports exceeded US$ 350 million.

Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan said the government of Pakistan launched Agriculture Emergency Program and there are proposals that livestock sector must be developed up to its maximum potential, since Pakistan is the 5th largest milk producing country, the cooperation from these multinational companies would help to materialize the desired objective.

Robert Mack, Director Public Affairs Tetra PAK said that TETRA PAK is working in 160 countries. Pakistan could follow Turkey’s model as it came down from 80% loose milk to 20% in the span of 10 years.