KARACHI: The chairman of the Pakistan Poultry Association, Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf, has expressed concern that the price of chicken could rise to Rs1,000 per kilogram in the near future due to a shortage of feed, an important dietary staple in Pakistan.
Ashraf reported that the price of broiler chicken is currently around Rs500-600 per kilogram in Karachi. He also mentioned that approximately 12 containers holding 0.75 million tons of soybean and canola are being held at the port due to technical issues from the government, despite payments being made.
The poultry association chairman further said that the poultry industry typically keeps a supply of feed on hand for 15 days to a month, but that supply has now been exhausted.
“The lack of soybean and canola availability has caused problems for feed manufacturers, who have informed farmers that they do not have the necessary products available,” he added.
Ashraf went on to state that the current increase in chicken prices is due to a decrease in feed supply, and warned that there will likely be a significant shortage of chicken in the market in the coming days, with prices potentially rising to 1,000 Pakistani rupees per kilogram in the current month.
In response to the issue, the Pakistan Poultry Association decided to hold a protest demonstration to urge the government to resolve the issue of soybean imports.
The association stated that the delay in clearing these vessels has led to an increase in poultry meat prices and has caused fears of the potential closure of poultry farms in the future.
