Pak Govt. To Help Poultry Industry To Tap Potential

Speaking at the inaugural session of the International Poultry Expo (IPEX) on Thursday, Bosan praised the 8-10% per annum growth of the poultry sector over the past few years due to which Pakistan had become the 11th largest producer of broiler chicken in the world.

This sector, which has a 6.1% share in agriculture and 10.8% share in livestock, was keeping up with modern requirements, he said.

Bosan commended the setting up of 6,500 environmentally-controlled sheds, which had put the industry in a transitional phase and on the path of modernisation.

“The poultry industry creates balance and keeps a check on increase in beef and mutton prices,” he remarked.

“Pakistan has great export potential due to its strategic location and has been declared free of bird flu by OIE,” said Bosan. “We have the potential to make inroads into the halal chicken market in Saudi Arabia, which is dominated by Brazil. The chicken market in Gulf countries is approximately worth $4 billion.”

Believing in the growth of subsectors of agriculture, he said the government was trying to implement best policies to remove the irritants in the way of growth of poultry, horticulture and other such divisions.

Pakistan Poultry Association Central President Dr Muhammad Aslam sought sincere support for enabling the sector to export its production.

He claimed that poultry farmers were bearing a loss of Rs30 per kg.

Aslam added that the industry in the past had tried its best and secured a market in Afghanistan, but it was barred from export by the judiciary.

He regretted that nobody was speaking in favour of the industry when the farmers were suffering losses.

Originally published on www.tribune.com.pk