KARACHI: H.E. Robert-Jan Seigert, Dutch Ambassador Visits FCEPL, where he held talks with the management of FCEPL regarding their achievements, the prospects of the dairy sector of Pakistan, and possibilities of future expansion. The visit of the Dutch Ambassador to the dairy sector of FCEPL reveals an ongoing interest of the Netherlands in developing relations with an important agricultural sector of Pakistan.
Royal FrieslandCampina is a Dutch multinational dairy cooperative company that operates all around the globe. The experience and skills of the Netherlands can help in this debate because Pakistan’s dairy industry now requires the know-how of the Netherlands as it is gradually shifting to modern food-processing systems.
Topics Covered & Why This is Important
Dutch Ambassador Visits FCEPL on a thorough presentation covering performance, ongoing activities, and future possibilities of the company, highlighting three interrelated topics that characterize the dairy industry problem in Pakistan:
Modernization and growth of sector
Pakistan produces about 66 billion liters of milk each year, ranking it as the fourth largest producer of milk in the world by volume. However, the overwhelming majority of production is conducted using informal means, where issues such as adulteration, lack of a cold chain and inconsistency of the product are rife. The FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan dairy sector talk examined how the sector could grow its formal processing of dairy products to feed a population that consumes below regional norms of packaged milk.
Safety of milk products especially for kids
In his speech, the Dutch ambassador highlighted one of the public health issues that Pakistan faces:
“The safety of dairy products, especially for kids, and promotion of moving from the culture of loose milk remains an issue of importance to public health. It is good to note the efforts by FCEPL in this regard.”
H.E. Robert-Jan Seigert, Dutch Ambassador to Pakistan
Untreated milk that is sold directly by vendors without being pasteurized or processed through the cold chain is the leading means of consuming dairy in poor urban and rural areas of Pakistan. There are major risks associated with such consumption with regard to bacterial contamination and adulteration, especially for children who will be more likely affected by the health effects. The packaged dairy items from FCEPL target this very risk.
ALSO READ: Pakistan Considers Removing 3% VAT on Imported Medicines to Cut Retail Drug Prices
Vision Shared by the FCEPL’s Managing Director
The Managing Director of FCEPL, Kashan Hasan, took the opportunity to express the company’s future vision regarding its activities within the Pakistani dairy industry sector:
“Dairy is not only an industry but is a source of nutrition and livelihood for millions of Pakistanis. We hope to collaborate with the office of the Ambassador to further enhance our interaction with relevant government institutions to contribute towards building up the dairy industry of Pakistan and making the quality dairy products available to millions more through the country and realizing RFC’s vision of Nourishing by Nature.”
Kashan Hasan, Managing Director, FCEPL
Townhall Meeting With Employees – Talents in Focus
The visit by the Ambassador was not only limited to meetings in the board room but also included a townhall meeting of the employees at FCEPL where Pakistani professionals along with their talents were put right into the bilateral discussion.
The discussion revolved around the abilities of Pakistani professionals in the dairy industry and the opportunities for these talented professionals as the industry is expanding and modernising. The employees took part in a discussion about how the industry would be developed in the coming years and how they themselves could contribute in the development of the dairy industry.
What Happens Next
The visit was marked by the recognition on the part of both parties of the need to maintain stakeholder engagement and continue efforts to provide safe, nutritious milk to future generations in the future.
For the Pakistani dairy sector, which is worth Rs3 trillion, has spread all over the country and yet, despite its production scale, is structurally underdeveloped, such meetings are of special significance since they turn the general goodwill into concrete discussion and collaboration.
The Netherlands provides dairy experience. Pakistan provides size. FCEPL serves as the link between the two and the visit of the Dutch ambassador means that they recognize the potential.
Nayab Fatima is a media professional specializing in fact-based journalism, research, and analytical reporting on technology, telecom, aviation, and automobiles.
