October 2, 2020

Kuwait lifts import ban on poultry from Pakistan

Kuwait lifted the ban on imports of bird meat and eggs from Pakistan after establishing that poultry products from the country are free from bird flu.

Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) said the decision came based on a recommendation by Kuwait's Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Kuwait's authority for food and nutrition.­

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry lifted the ban on imports of all kinds of bird meat (fresh, chilled, frozen, processed), derivatives and eggs from Pakistan on August 25.

Pakistan Poultry Association and the Organisation of Islamic Conferences (OIC) inspection teams from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE visited poultry facilities in Pakistan and later declared the country free from bird flu.

However, Maroof Siddiqui of Pakistan Poultry Association said: "There is no ban on our poultry products, and yet we can't take any benefit because the high cost of production leaves us uncompetitive."

Pakistan's poultry exports are nominal despite surplus production. Poultry products are not even mentioned by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics in its export numbers.

According to Siddiqui, after Saudi Arabia lifted the ban last year, a small quantity of poultry goods was exported to Middle East. "The purchase price of poultry meat in the international market is around US$2.5/kg, while the freight cost is Rs175/kg (US$1.06). We cannot compete with Brazil, Argentina and Thailand with such high cost of production here."

Pakistan imports most of its poultry feed ingredients, including soybean, chemicals, and vitamins.

"Every year, we send our proposals for the budget requesting tax exemptions on the import of poultry feed items/ingredients, and other measures to reduce cost of production, but none of our proposals are accepted. Governments across the world give rebate and subsidies to their exporters, but our government is only interested in collecting taxes," Siddiqui added.

- The News