Karachi: National Foods Limited (NFL) is set to revolutionize Pakistan’s food landscape with the inauguration of its largest, state-of-the-art production plant in Faisalabad. Fueled by an investment of PKR 7 billion, the plant is equipped with cutting-edge technology and marks a significant milestone in National Foods’ pursuit to bring further innovation and quality to the food industry.

The recently held inauguration ceremony was attended by Chairman Zahid Majeed, Global CEO Abrar Hasan, along with the company’s Board of Directors, management personnel and guests.

Spread over 30 acres, the plant will help NFL cater to the domestic market and empower the company to significantly increase its export volume, building upon its current exports.

“We are delighted to inaugurate our new production facility which marks a monumental milestone for us, affirming our commitment to serve the nation’s growing demand for high-quality food products while boosting employment and export opportunities,” stated Mr. Abrar Hasan, Global CEO of National Foods.

With over 600+ jobs creation, NFL’s Faisalabad plant has production capacity of 6,000 tons/month, and will house production of spices, recipe mixes, ketchups, mayonnaise, Chinese sauces, seasonings and Kasuri Methi.

National Foods, founded in 1970 and later turned into a public limited company, has been an integral player in the food sector for over five decades, offering a comprehensive portfolio of 250 products over 12 key categories, placing it at the forefront of innovation and quality.

NFL’s reach extends beyond national borders, encompassing 40 countries across five continents, providing authentic Pakistani flavors that reconnect overseas Pakistanis with their vibrant heritage. The company has subsidiaries in the UAE, UK, North America, and has recently expanded its supply chain hub in Canada to continue providing customers with high-quality premium products.

Karachi: National Foods Limited (NFL) has embarked on a remarkable journey of import substitution through the project Seed To Table. By means of formal partnerships with progressive farm-managing companies, National Foods Limited aims to empower local farmers and fortify Pakistan’s agri value chain.

NFL, fueled by the vision of reshaping Pakistan’s agricultural landscape, launched the ‘Seed to Table’ project in August 2023 with a vision to reduce the country’s dependency on imported raw materials, particularly the annual import of tomato paste amounting to USD 10 million. Through the dedicated efforts of all stakeholders in the project including farmers, tomato seeds were cultivated in September 2023 over 500 acres in different parts of Sindh. The harvests started in February this year, yielding around 8,000 tons of premium-quality tomatoes so far.

“The revolutionary ‘Seed To Table’ project has already saved USD 2mn with a realized localization potential of around USD 10mn. It presents us with opportunity to export in a USD 10bn+ market,” This was stated by Abrar Hasan, Global CEO of National Foods Limited (NFL) while addressing the Pakistan Agriculture Connection Expo & Conference 2024 here in Lahore.

The project aims to empower local farmers ensuring their continued growth and prosperity through formal partnerships with progressive farm-managing companies including Syngenta, Ibtida Ventures, Vital Green, Indus Acres, Kevlaar, Al-Rahim Agri Processing, Farmdar, Farmevo, and Salaam Takaful.
“Even in its early stage, the ‘Seed to Table‘ project has exceeded our expectations and we are incredibly proud of the results,” said Abrar Hasan, adding that NFL aims to double the acreage next year and will continue to expand further. “By taking control of the entire supply chain, we’ve ensured a consistent supply of high-quality fresh tomatoes directly to NFL’s production facilities. We are dedicated to building upon the success of the ‘Seed to Table’ project by replicating this model with other key ingredients like red chilies, further strengthening domestic agriculture, and reducing reliance on imports,” he added.

It is worth mentioning here that the country produces approximately 144,000 tons of red chilies annually. In contrast, over 20,000 tons of red chili have to be imported per year to meet specific industry requirements. Similar to the tomato yield project, NFL has already forged partnerships with esteemed entities for red chili cultivation.
It is important to mention that National Foods has been an integral player in the food sector for over five decades, offering a comprehensive portfolio of 250 products over 12 key categories, in Pakistan and 40 countries across five continents.

Islamabad: Chief Executive, Indus Motor Company, Mr. Ali Asghar Jamali, while recently talking to a group of journalists in Islamabad said that local auto industry expects urgent remedial measures from the current government in the upcoming budget to support the local auto industry and to restore investors’ confidence.

The local auto industry has requested for an increase in duties and taxes on used cars in the upcoming budget from the government, to benefit the local auto industry from the slightly improved economic activity, stable currency, and a likely cut in interest rates.

“Contradictory to our expectations of improvement in demand from Jan 2024 onwards, this year could not turn a new leaf for Pakistan’s Auto Industry due to heavy import of used cars,” said Mr. Jamali.

It is worth adding here that local automakers witnessed a slight improvement of about 28% in their sales in February 2024 against last year same period (11,593 in Feb ‘24 vs 9,011 in Feb ‘23). However, on the other hand, the imports of used cars recorded over 711% (3,213 against 396 units) increase in February alone, against the same period last year.

If this situation persists, our vendors industry will be forced to close down their businesses due to this unsustainable business environment, with plant utilization capacity levels between 25 to 30% for the past few months. While, on the other hand, huge investments by vendors in order to meet surging demands of the auto industry, are now lying idle and only producing parts for vehicles at approx. 100,000 levels.

Chairman, PAAPAM has recently mentioned that overall, the local auto industry has invested about $2.5bn and contributed about Rs 400bn in taxes in FY2022 alone, while it creates about 2.5 million direct and indirect jobs within the country, which continues to nullify the potential and magnitude of the industry.

The import of 3068 used cars per month on average (taken from July 2023 to April 2024 imports) has been rendering local businesses ineffective, which will result in unemployment and economic loss (in terms of taxes).

Also, illegal financial channels continue to be used for foreign payments related to used cars. While, on the other hand, the local auto industry uses all legal means for bringing parts into the country, which continues to present a huge challenge.

Similarly, the government should ensure sufficient mechanisms are in place, in which used vehicles are only allowed to be imported within the country for overseas Pakistani family’s usage.

Besides, he added, the imports also hurt the country’s reserves and depreciates the value of PKR, along with threatening future investments due to the economic uncertainty.

He further mentioned that, Toyota’s newly launched Hybrid Electric Vehicle – Toyota Corolla Cross’ first quarter performance has been satisfactory. Toyota Corolla Cross has the highest percentage of localized parts in this category, which is over 50%.

He added that as many as 13 brands are cumulatively producing 40 plus models locally, with a combined capacity to produce 500,000 units annually, but imported used cars continue to create sustainability challenges for the local auto industry.

He concluded that in order to support the local auto industry, the government is requested to rationalize import taxes on used car imports to curb the influx of imported vehicles to revitalize the local market and safeguard the interests of local manufacturers and ensure the sustainability of countless jobs.

Karachi, 8 June: Hutchison Ports Pakistan efficiently Handled MSC ANNA, one of the largest vessels in the world with an impressive length of 400 meters, completing operations in just 32 hours. This achievement highlights the terminal’s capability to handle large-scale operations with remarkable efficiency.

The vessel berthed at Hutchison Ports Pakistan on 29th May and departed the terminal at 11:50 PM on 30th May, 2024, after loading 2419 units and offloading 730 units. Although this was a significant operation, the port has previously achieved a volume exchange of 5,817 moves. The yard density before the arrival of MSC ANNA was 47.3%, and it decreased to 45.7% upon her departure, showcasing the terminal’s efficient handling capabilities.

“Our terminal is built to handle large ships with deeper drafts, making it a prime destination for vessels of this magnitude. The successful operation of MSC ANNA demonstrates our capability and readiness to manage even larger vessels,” said CS Kim, CEO of Hutchison Ports Pakistan.

“This achievement not only highlights our operational excellence but also boosts trade, enhancing Pakistan’s position in the global maritime industry.” added CS Kim.

Karachi, May 31: The arrival of one of the world’s largest vessels at Hutchison Ports Pakistan has opened a whole world of opportunities for businesses in Pakistan. This was stated by the Minister of Maritime Affairs, Mr. Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, during a commemorative event marking the arrival of the 400-meter-long container vessel, MSC ANNA, at Hutchison Ports Pakistan, the country’s only deep-water terminal.

Mr. Sheikh emphasized that with a fresh wave of interest from investors in Saudi Arabia, UAE, China, and other countries, there is a significant opportunity to revive the economy. He urged all stakeholders to make concerted efforts to enhance exports and significantly boost government revenue through increased port activities and trade.

This influx of larger vessels underscores the terminal’s pivotal role in not only strengthening Pakistan’s position in global trade but also in contributing to the nation’s economic growth.

Chairman KPT, Mr. Syedain Raza Zaidi, highlighted that the MSC ANNA is the largest ship to berth at Karachi port. “It underscores KPT’s reputation as a leading port in Pakistan and the region and also demonstrates the port’s capacity and regional importance,” he said.

Mr. Zaidi further noted that the port of Karachi has the full potential to become the transshipment hub of the region, and the arrival of such large vessels will increase traffic at Pakistan’s ports. He mentioned that KPT, received 2 Billion PKR in revenue previously, but this year’s revenue is expected to be 10 Billion PKR. “The arrival of this ship not only showcases our capability to handle such large vessels but also signifies the importance of Karachi Port in the region,” he added.

Earlier, CS Kim, CEO of Hutchison Ports Pakistan, welcomed the guests at the event. He stated that the arrival of MSC ANNA at Hutchison Ports Pakistan is not just a milestone for the terminal but a significant achievement for the entire nation, showcasing the capacity to handle large container ships with matchless efficiency. “This milestone affirms Hutchison Ports Pakistan’s commitment to the development of Pakistan’s sea trade,” he said.

With an overall length of 400 meters, MSC ANNA exemplifies the scale of operations that Hutchison Ports Pakistan can smoothly provide. “As the country’s only deep-water container terminal, our state-of-the-art technology and infrastructure allow us to seamlessly accommodate and serve vessels of this magnitude, reinforcing our position as a leader in Pakistan’s maritime industry,” said CEO Kim. He thanked his team, the Karachi Port Trust, Government of Sindh, Minister of Maritime Affairs and his ministry, Pakistan Customs and Customs Collectorates, HPP’s partner MSC, and its local team for their trust and collaboration.

At the end of the event, CEO Kim presented shields to Federal Minister of Maritime Affairs Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Governor of Sindh Kamran Tessori, and Chairman KPT Syedain Raza Zaidi.