BEIJING, April 19 (DNA): Pakistan’s fish meal export to China topped 13,866 tons with a value of over US$15.68 million, witnessing a year-on-year increase of 250.59% in the January-February period, Chinese customs data showed, Gwadar Pro reported  on Tuesday. 

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral trade between Pakistan and China has increased significantly. Pakistan’s exports to China stood at US$ 670.72 million in January- February of FY22, up 22.77 per cent from US$ 546.30 million in the same period of the previous year.

According to the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC), flours & meals of fish, used in animal feeding commodity code (23012010) from Pakistan, crossed US$ 15.68 million with a total volume of 13,866 tons, while last year it was US$ 4.47 million with a total volume 4,917 tons in the January- February period.

Data showed that in 2021, the total fish meals used in animal feeding, imported from Pakistan was 40,654.92 tons, worth US$40.53 million.   

Khurram Naseeb, A-One Fish Meal in Karachi, told Gwadar Pro that there are several reasons for the growth, including a short supply from other countries: almost all suppliers including Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, the USA, Ecuador, Mauritania and Morocco limited fishmeal export, whereas only Pakistan, India and Peru are exporting to China.

“At the beginning of this year, prices for other agricultural commodities increase a lot, such as soybean meal, corn, rapeseed meal, due to the pandemic and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. 

Therefore, many animals feed relies heavily on fishmeal, which comes from juvenile fish usually”, Khurram added.

He mentioned that Pakistan’s fishery processing industry needs improving to enhance exports although due to the 2nd China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement in which more than 313 items are now enjoying duty-free access to China including fisheries; there is still a need to build jetties for local fishermen.

“We can increase our export and prices by improving our boats, loading time from boats to trucks and transportation of raw fish from port to factories because Pakistan has more potential than what they are achieving now, roughly 85,000 tons per year”, Khurram stated.