LAHORE - Punjab Halal Development Agency (PHDA) and US Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Punjab Enabling Environment Project (PEEP) conducted a training workshop in Lahore for abattoir workers on Halal slaughtering practices.
The workshop was held at the Lahore Meat Processing Complex operated by Punjab Agriculture and Meat Company (PAMCO). This training is fourth in the series, while previously, three such trainings have been organized in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan. The training program will cover 12 districts of Punjab and train 500 beneficiaries.
This training program aims at developing capacity of butchers, slaughtermen, and management at public slaughterhouses to promote Islamic and Shariah-compliant methods of Halal slaughtering, as well as adopting hygiene practices in line with international standards. In order to demonstrate Halal slaughtering process, an exposure visit of the Lahore Meat Processing Complex was also arranged for all participants as part of the training.
“PHDA is striving to promote the Halal meat industry of the country by developing, implementing and monitoring Halal standards across Punjab and this training program demonstrates its commitment to promote good Halal, hygiene and food safety practices. After completion of the training program, PHDA will apply the Halal by-laws in the province,” stated Chairman Punjab Halal Development Agency Justice (r) Khalil-ur-Rehman Khan, giving details of the training program.
Government of Punjab’s Local Government and Community Development Department (LG&CD) recently authorized PHDA through the newly approved by-laws to issue Halal slaughter licenses to slaughtermen and butchers across Punjab. These trainings will provide slaughtermen and butchers with authentic, Islamic knowledge on Halal and ‘Tayyab’ (hygiene) principles, build their capacity to acquire Halal slaughtering licenses from PHDA and help discourage unlawful and unhygienic slaughtering of animals, thereby ensuring availability of Halal and safe meat for consumers.
USAID, through its Punjab Enabling Environment Project, has collaborated with PHDA to provide in-kind and technical assistance to help strengthen the human and institutional capacity of the organization and improve the overall business environment for increased investments in the Halal meat segment of the livestock sector. USAID PEEP is a five-year, $15 million project which will improve the business environment for the dairy, livestock and horticulture sub-sectors by promoting policy and regulatory reforms through private sector-led advocacy. These reforms are expected to spur investment in these sub-sectors, leading to fast-paced employment generation. Through this project, USAID is also helping increase the institutional capacity of public and private sector organizations to support and sustain policy reforms at the provincial level.