Navigating the bar on imported pet feed in Pakistan By Shahab Omer
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here is a large shop in DHA, Lahore, chock-a-block with imported pet food and a steady stream of customers. All looks well. There seems to be no sign of the ban on imported pet food by the federal government just weeks ago. Other markets in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi also appear to have lots of imported pet food in stock. In fact, a cursory glance at the racks selling animal feed will have one confused. This is a far cry from the loud protests carried out by pet food traders and owners in Lahore on June 6, demanding the government lift this ban. Pet parents believe that without the availability of imported food, the health of their pets will suffer greatly, and those part of the pet food industry are scared the industry has been doomed.
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Profit has set out to both investigate and to understand the issue. Where is this imported food coming from, what are the advantages and disadvantages of selling imported pet food locally, and how will this ban impact the pets’ breeding business are questions being asked. “In the days of lockdown, pet food imports had a significant impact after which importers started buying large quantities of stocks,” says the owner of the shop in Lahore, explaining the wide array of imported foods in his store. But despite this apparent abundance, he adds that there is not much left in the market. “The focus of the customers is mostly on three to four imported brands. In order to sell the remaining imported brands, we have to convince customers,” he explains, talking of those brands that were not in high demand in pre-Covid days, and have, therefore, been left
behind in the markets. Similarly, Rana Mubeen, a wholesaler dealing with both imported and local pet food in Samanabad, said that since the demand for imported pet food has increased significantly now many shopkeepers are even selling it in black. “We have been doing this business for the last 10 years. There is no wholesale market for this food and since it is imported and not labeled with a price, it is subject to the duties imposed on it, and its price in the international market. The price is also determined within the local market but varies from shop to shop,” he said. “Royal Canin’s pet food is in high demand at the moment, followed by Taste of the Wild, Mera, Pedigree and many more. Pet food is not imported from just one country. If I talk about their prices, the bag of puppy food of Royal Canin which was available for PKR 1,800 two years ago has now gone up to
