News Desk
KARACHI: After more than two years, Pakistan proudly celebrated the arrival of U.S. Soybeans in a ceremony held at Fauji Akbar Portia Marine Terminals Ltd. (FAP) in Karachi. Key stakeholders at the event included leadership from the All-Pakistan Solvent Extractors Association (APSEA), the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), Ms. Farzana Altaf Shah, Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Government of Pakistan and Scott Urbom, Consul General at the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Pakistan.
This milestone comes after continuous efforts from the poultry and oilseeds industry collaborating together with legislative bodies to secure approval of the import licenses for genetically modified (GM) soybeans.
A Strong History of Partnership
Reflecting on U.S. Soy’s future in Pakistan, Kevin Roepke, USSEC’s Regional Director for South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa (SAASSA) added, “We are grateful to our partners in Pakistan for their continued trust and commitment to U.S. Soy. Through value addition, Pakistan’s industry creates thousands of jobs and provides nutritious food throughout the country by using U.S. Soy as a key input.”
In November 2024, USSEC signed a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding between APSEA and the Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA). Previously, Pakistan was an emerging destination for U.S. Soybeans with imports reaching over $600 million.
Highlighting FAP’s history with U.S. Soy, Eqan Ali Khan, FAP’s CEO commented “FAP takes immense pride as a partner and enabler for the oilseeds and grains industries, being the only dedicated grain and fertilizer terminal in Pakistan with state-of-the-art technology for handling and storage. We have set a discharge record of 35,000 tons in a single day for Oilseeds and are fully equipped to handle both Gearless and Geared vessels of Panamax size. The reopening of GMO soybean imports in Pakistan is expected to revive Pakistan’s industry and improve nutrition.”
A Critical Need
Pakistan’s poultry industry is a major consumer of U.S. Soy, relying on its high quality, digestibility, and ability to improve animal performance. Moreover, edible oil refiners highly value the efficiency and yield that U.S. soybeans offer in the form of their oil quality.
Commenting on the reopening of trade, Zain Mahmood, APSEA’s Chairman added, “Today is a landmark day for the industry as the resumption of U.S. Soybean imports will boost the poultry sector and drive value addition within the country. Instead of relying on imports for both soybean meal and oil, we will now produce them domestically strengthening our economy and ensuring a stable supply chain.”
Market Access and Growth Potential
Approximately 265,000 metric tons of U.S. Soybeans are arriving in Pakistan over the next few months. This renewed market access will benefit poultry farmers by providing greater access to superior quality feed, and improved feed conversion ratios ultimately leading to profitable outcomes.
rafiq@biztoday.news
