June 28, 2007

Pakistan's poultry industry needs government aid
 

The poultry industry in Pakistan is in a critical stage and requires the government's immediate assistance, Dr Hasan Sarosh Akram, President of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) said.

Rumours of bird flu in Pakistan are making it difficult for exporters to export poultry, he said.

Pakistan could stand to lose the Rs 120 billion (US$2.93 billion) industry and thousands of jobs if something is not done to save the industry, he said.

The country's poultry industry is hit by a double whammy of overproduction and bird flu rumours. The day-old chick markets especially, have been hardest hit, he added.

He said that in spite of rumours for the past year, not a single bird flu casualty has been recorded in Pakistan.

The Rawalpindi region, near the country's capital Islamabad, is a significant poultry-growing region of Pakistan. It once provided more than half the breeding stock for the nation but has slowly been losing its share of the market to Southern Punjab.