Dealers and poultry farmers warned that the relative affordability of chicken could disappear and that it might soon surpass beef prices due to the feed shortage as the price of chicken meat reached Rs. 650 per kilogramme on Tuesday.
As live broiler chicken is being sold for up to Rs. 370/kg in the Federal Capital, the price may rise to Rs. 800 per kilogramme, or almost the same as red meat.
On the other hand, the Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) and the All-Pakistan Solvent Extractors’ Association (APSEA) have threatened to go on strike in Lahore on Thursday (tomorrow) if the administration does not intervene to stop the collapse of the two businesses in response to their distress cry.
Prices for poultry products have soared since October 2022, when customs officials blocked the entry of GMO soybean supply, primarily from the United States (US) and Brazil. Nine shipments have been delayed at the port thus far because of legal issues. A major US ambassador took part, but the problem could not be solved.
Pakistan has ratified a global agreement that forbids the import of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and products derived from them.
It is crucial to realise that the primary ingredient in chicken feed is soybean meal. A shortage brought on by “illegal shipments” into the nation has prevented feed mills from meeting the rise in demand. Feed costs have thus increased significantly. The price of a 50 kg bag of chicken feed has increased by Rs. 2,000 in the past three months, to Rs. 7,000.
