September 14, 2007

Pakistan to go all out to rebuild poultry industry

Pakistan's agricultural ministry has allocated Rs. 1 billion (US$16.5 million) to help its poultry industry recover from the bird flu crisis, Federal Food, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Sikandar Hayat Bosan said.

Inaugurating a two-day International Poultry Congress and exhibition of poultry products organised by the Pakistan Poultry Association last week, he said the government was going all out to help the industry recover from the effects of the crisis.

As part of these measures, Rs150 million (US$2.5 million) had been paid to poultry farmers affected by the disease.

The ministry is also upgrading its diagnostic laboratories and launching a massive awareness campaign for prevention and control of infectious diseases.

The Federal Poultry Board had also recommended five-year income tax exemption for the poultry farms, advancing of soft loans to the farmers, concessions in duty on exports and duty-free import of poultry cooling systems and vaccines.