Daily Times

LAHORE: The Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) has asked the government to take necessary actions for the revival of the poultry industry.

In a press briefing, PPA said that the poultry sector has been facing losses for the last year due to Covid-19. Poultry products and chicken are determined on a demand and supply basis by the government/market committees. No individual or association can fix its rate.

A disease named New Castle Virus(NDV) is widely spread over at poultry farms these days and is causing more than 50% mortality of broilers. That’s why the supply chain of broiler is disturbed, and prices went up due to a shortage of broiler chicken/Eggs.

Chairman PPA recommended that Government must take action to revive the Poultry Sector.

He suggested that avenues of import of corn/soybean and sunflower meal: should be left open by withdrawing custom duties and temporarily withdrawing regulatory duty and, at the same time, custom duty on soybean meal should be brought down from 3% to zero percent and sales tax be brought down from 17% to 5%.

He said that sales tax on poultry machinery and poultry equipment should be exempted. HE further stated that the FBR agreed and clarified that sales tax exemption would be provided to the plants, machinery, and equipment to be used in any phase of the poultry industry. But this exemption being ambiguous could not be availed by the poultry farmers; it should be further clarified. It is required to be made easy to avail of the exemption.

Chairman PPA suggested that the agricultural tube well tariff should be applied to the poultry industry as poultry farming of all types and hatcheries is basically an agricultural activity. It cannot afford the high price of energy capital loans to poultry farmers.

He urged the government to stop the spread of disease and deputise the concerned authorities to develop a vaccine to relieve the poultry farmers.

The Association pleaded that they should not be referred to as “Mafia”.