January 10, 2023

Rawalpindi, Pakistan poultry sector faces collapse due to expensive feed

The poultry sector in Pakistan's Rawalpindi division is on the brink of collapse due to the costly feed.

Broiler farmers said that feed mills have exorbitantly raised the prices of their products under one pretext or the other. The price of chicken feed has increased from Rs1,800 (US$7.89) to Rs6,200 (US$27.16) per bag while the cost of chicken medicine has increased from Rs0.2 million to Rs0.4 million.

Additionally, soybean meal is in short supply.

Small-scale poultry farmers in seven tehsils of Rawalpindi district are facing immense challenges in running their businesses. Shipments of the imported soybean seed have been seized by customs authorities and the government has failed to import soybean meal as a substitute.

Poultry farmers said that the weight of the chicken does not increase due to the absence of soybean meal in the chicken feed.

While the prices of chicken are increasing in recent times, producers have stopped rearing new chicks at poultry farms.

- The Express Tribune