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Export of poultry demanded

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) has sought permission from the government for exports of poultry and reduction of duties on its export.

According to the official sources PPA has pleaded that the ban on wedding feast has affected the business and there is no way out to save the poultry sector.

However, sources said the government believes that, if allowed, the export might result in a sky-rocketing local prices of white meat.

According to the statistics the country during 1994-95 produced 194 million broiler birds which increased to 264 million during 1997-98 but after the ban it decreased to 176.79 million during 1998-99.

The number of hatcheries producing chicks between 1996 to 1999 stayed put at 255, but their capacity to produce 320 million, day-old chicks during 1996-97, decreased to 203 million during 1998-99.

Experts have attributed the decrease in production to the closure of poultry farms.

Most of the poultry farms are situated in the rural areas and their closure or below capacity production have rendered many people jobless.ÑAPP