SCOPE OF WORK
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Project Name
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CNFA-AMD / Project Number AID-391-C-15-00003
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Consultancy Assignment
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Assist to International Consultant in Operational Gap Analysis / Audit of Processing Systems and Animal Welfare
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Consultant Title
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Specialist Meat Plant Operations
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Reports to
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Chief Technical Advisor – AMD
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Place of Performance
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Lahore and Karachi
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Duration of Consultancy
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60 days
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Project Description:
The U.S.-Pakistan Partnership for Agricultural Market Development (AMD) activity in Pakistan is a USAID funded activity implemented by CNFA with the goal of supporting the development of Pakistan’s commercial agriculture. This is intended to be achieved through improving the ability of Pakistan’s agriculture and livestock sectors to meet both international and domestic market demand and requirements in its four targeted product lines (TPLs): citrus, mango, high value/off season vegetables and livestock. AMD envisions a transformation of the four TPLs into efficient, private sector led value chains that deliver competitive products to domestic and export markets. AMD’s targeted training, matching grants, and technical assistance is expected to leverage private sector investment and encourage innovation. Together, these approaches will support the upgrade and streamlining of supply chains, optimization of profit margins, increase in the participation of women entrepreneurs, and ultimately making Pakistani mango, citrus, meat and HV/OSV product lines more profitable and competitive.
Background Information:
The main export market for Pakistani Beef in light carcass form is the UAE, and this market is approaching saturation. Currently, the UAE market is well serviced by Pakistani products, with over 90% of the chilled carcass and partial carcass demand being met. However, in a price sensitive market, suppliers can be their own competition and discounts are the only sales tool being used. Opportunities for fresh, value-added meat exist in the market, and the ability to sell fresh, versus frozen, is three times as high. Progress in processing of carcass to vacuum-packed primal cuts will expand the segment demand. The opportunity lies in Pakistani producers shifting to processing younger, heavier carcasses, and breaking these down to primal cuts. Doing so will allow Pakistan to enter a market four times the size of the one currently being pursued in the GCC region. Diversification of product from carcass to primal cuts will open new markets, thereby increasing export figures.
Lack of specialized equipment, shortage of heavier carcass quality animals less than 30 months of age, absence of specialized butchery skills for meat grading and handling, all continue to negatively impact the quality and production of the value chain, and remain to be major hindrances with accessing potential exports of chilled meat products and by-products. Rudimentary disposal system of by-products, improper and unhygienic storage facilities, and inadequate chilling/freezing facilities continue to impede the sector to fully take advantage of the global Halal market trend. Consequently, the generated revenue is a fraction of what the international market has to offer. From livestock farming to commercial marketing of beef and mutton, the industry remains largely disjointed and deficient of quality input at feedlot levels, making it impossible for meat processors to consistently supply products that align with market demands. Pakistani meat processors and exporters need to go through a detailed operational audit to analyze all existing gaps to help with developing a more efficient and streamlined system.
To overcome these impediments, an integral part of AMD’s marketing strategy focuses on the provision of technical assistance to improve plant efficiency and enhance human resource capacity on meat processing. This includes (but is not limited to) the following procedures, all of which are important in order to facilitate meat processors with achieving an increase in their exports:
- Pre-slaughter handling of animals;
- Slaughtering;
- De-skinning;
- Offal, by-products management;
- Carcass handling;
- Meat Inspection
- Antemortem and postmortem inspection
- Cold chain management — chilling, blast freezing, and storage;
- Carcass processing — primal and specialized cuts;
- Packing techniques for chilled and frozen meat exports;
- Preparation of vacuum packing;
- Optimization of vacuum pack machine;
- Gas flushing optimization packing.
Once enacted, the acquired efficiency in operations will allow the assisted meat exporters to access new and higher paying markets, and enable the slaughter houses to respond to the market-required product specifications and standards.
Objective of the Technical Assistance through Local Consultant
The objective of this assignment is to engage a Local Meat Plant Operations Specialist who will work with International Consultant to assist 6 leading meat processors (4 AMD grantees and 2 selected through an EOI) to enhance their plant efficiency and human resource capacity. The technical assistance (TA) provided will include a detailed audit of the current status of operations at the meat processing plant including animal welfare, carry out a detailed gap analysis, identify areas of improvement, and train the human resource of meat processing plants for optimized plant operations. The consultants will oversee both ante-mortem and post-mortem stages of animals, including animal handling, the slaughtering process, de-skinning, offal management, cold chain management, the variety in meat-cuts, packing techniques, and where applicable, optimization of vacuum packing and gas flushing.
It is envisioned that STTAs will identify these gaps and help the processors improve the efficiency of their plant operation by providing hand-hold, real-time training to human resources. The specialists jointly with ISTTA will develop SOPs for optimization of all operational areas in the processing plants to meet international standards and increase competitiveness of Pakistani exporters.
Assignment Scope:
The Local STTA tasks will include but not be limited to:
- Background study of AMD Work Plan and published studies of previous value chain and meat processing plant operations in Pakistan;
- Jointly with ISTTA carry out gap analysis of the selected meat processing plants for the efficiency optimization of their operations;
- Where applicable, work with the processors for optimized vacuum packing;
- Provide technical backstopping and hand-hold training in the identified gaps to the human resource of meat processors;
- Jointly with ISTTA , develop SOPs for plant operations for efficiency optimizations;
- Any other tasks assigned by the Chief Technical Advisor connected to meat processing plant operations.
Timing of the Assignment:
The STTA assignment will commence in December with a total LOE of 60 working days. The assignment will be conducted jointly with the international consultant.
Qualifications:
The international consultant should have:
- An advanced degree or Certification courses in the field of food safety and food processing;
- Extensive experience with meat processors and other value chain actors in the country and abroad;
- More than10 years of professional experience in meat processing;
- Requisite prior experience of working at senior level management positions in meat processing;
- Demonstrable ability to work in a team;
- Demonstrable interpersonal and communication skills;
- Excellent English writing skills;
- Oral fluency in English;
- Ability to travel to Lahore and Karachi.