LAHORE: The Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) on Tuesday urged the government to allow a free market mechanism to function and regulate demand, supply and price of chicken.
It further asked to not intervene in the market prices mechanism as in the long run it would go against the government’s intention to supply edible products at reasonable prices.
PPA Vice Chairman (North region) Chaudhry Muhammad Fargham said the association is extremely hurt and depressed by the action being taken by the Punjab government to control the prices of live chicken and meat.
He questioned where the provincial and federal governments were when during the last six months the farmers were selling day old chicks and broilers at an average price of Rs20.8 and Rs129.9 respectively.
During these months the day old chicks and broilers were sold as low as Rs4 per chick and Rs89 respectively against the cost of production of Rs45 and Rs160 respectively and that millions of chicks and embryos were destroyed, Fargham lamented.
He further asked where the government was when breeder farmers had no cash flows to feed the breeders and had to sell young breeders.
The Commissioner Animal Husbandry in the Ministry of National Food and Security had submitted cost of production to the Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court back on March 2012 at Rs31.27 for day old chicks and Rs132 per kg for broilers, but the current costs are around Rs45 for day old chicks and Rs160 for broilers.
PPA Secretary (North region) Syed Javed Hussain Bukhari said the association time and again had abreast of the government that the situation would lead to acute shortage of poultry products as the losses would result in reduction of production and prices would shoot up.
“We had advised the government that subject to an increase in price, supply would partially but gradually increase to some extent,” the PPA secretary said.
Bukhari maintained that PPA had strongly advised the government to not intervene in the free market mechanism, but the government paid no heed.
“Now when the market is allowing surviving farmers to recover their losses, the administration is arresting the sellers of chicken meat and forcing them to sell meat at Rs260 per kg.”
Bukhari opined that such actions would lead to long term closure of poultry farms, which would not only lead to a tremendous increase in chicken meat prices but also mutton, beef and pulses.
Ghulam Rasool, a chicken meat seller, from Gujranwala, says that they are selling chicken during the month of Ramadan as the lockdown is eased to win the bread for their families and make ends meet, but the local administration is detaining our colleagues while claiming that they are selling chicken at high prices. “This is absolutely wrong as it depends upon demand and supply of the product, which decides the price.”
A government official, seeking anonymity, told this scribe that the poultry industry is in shambles as they have suffered heavy losses due to closure of marriage halls and restaurants for months following Covid-19 outbreak.
However, another government official was of the opinion that the poultry association is making hue and cry to earn a stimulus package from the government just like other sectors.
