Tag: poultry

  • No food for chickens: Massive increase in chicken, egg prices expected

    No food for chickens: Massive increase in chicken, egg prices expected

    Due to the widespread shortage of poultry feed, poultry farmers and traders are worried that the supply of chicken and eggs may run out in a month.

    At an urgent press conference held at the Karachi Press Club, Chaudhry Ashraf, the central chairman of the Pakistan Poultry Association, former chairman Ghulam Khaliq, Sindh-Balochistan zone chairman Saleem Baloch, and others expressed their grave concerns regarding the non-clearance of soybean shipments that had been stopped at Karachi Port.

    According to Express Tribune, soybean and canola appear to be the two main ingredients in poultry feed, according to poultry owners. More than six lakh tonnes of soybeans that have not been authorised for export are currently at the port.

    Additionally, in conjunction with the purchase of soybeans, poultry owners have paid importers more than $44 million. In order to restart the feed supply to the nation’s poultry sector, the ministry of food security and other ministries should right away resolve their conflict with soybean importers and issue orders for the clearance of soybeans at the port.

    Presently, poultry owners in Pakistan generate 3.5 million eggs each day from 3.8 million chickens. If the problem of feed supply for the poultry industry is not immediately addressed, there is a potential that the supply of chicken and eggs may stop within a month.

    More than 50 per cent of the poultry business is currently closed. If this sector is entirely shut down, which would result in the loss of nearly 2.5 million jobs, there will be a greater risk of food insecurity in the country.

  • Donkey population in Pakistan increases to 5.7 million: Research

    Donkey population in Pakistan increases to 5.7 million: Research

    Pakistan Economic Survey (PES) 2021-22 revealed that the number of horses in Pakistan climbed by 0.4 million, while donkey population increased to 5.7 million in the preceding fiscal year.

    The number of donkeys has been rapidly expanding in recent years, with 5.5 million in 2019-2020 and 5.6 million in 2020-21, Geo reported.

    Pakistan’s cow population remained at the top as it surged to 53.4 million, with buffalo at 43.7 million, sheep at 31.9 million, and goats at 31.9 million, as per the estimated figures provided by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.

    Pakistan had 1.1 million camels, 0.4 million horses, and 0.2 million mules. It should be noted that these figures have remained unchanged since 2017-18.

    From 2021 to 2022, livestock provided around 61.9 per cent of agriculture value addition and 14.0 per cent of national GDP.

    Animal farming is the most important source of income for Pakistanis living in rural areas. More than 8 million rural families are involved in livestock farming, and this industry accounts for 35-40 per cent of their income.

    The gross value addition of livestock has increased by 3.26 per cent from Rs5,269 billion in 2020-21 to Rs5,441 billion in 2021-22.

    The government has refocused on livestock in order to boost economic growth, food security, and poverty alleviation in the country.