LAHORE: A meeting of the Punjab Cabinet Committee on Price Control and Ramazan Package held last week was told that the poultry sector in the province was witnessing a severe crisis, with investment reducing in hatchery and control sheds, mainly due to the price cap put in place by the government on chicken.
Present at the meeting, the Livestock and Dairy Development Department (L&DD) secretary, generated a SOS call through a detailed presentation, mentioning that supply and price of mutton, beef and milk had been under crisis for the last ten years.
He said that poultry farmers were enduring heavy financial losses due to the price cap, which might create a supply issue of day old chicks, chicken and eggs in near future, especially when the holy month of Ramazan is approaching near.
The secretary said that the production / population of livestock, including buffalos, sheep and goats had considerably decreased. “Mostly substandard or synthetic artificial milk was being sold across the province. This milk is being manufactured with powder imported or smuggled from India. To increase the supply of milk and meat, chicken and eggs, urgent steps are needed to give farmers a favourable environment to sustain,” he said.
He highlighted that different committees under the finance minister and the Punjab Agriculture Commission after thorough deliberations had finalised recommendations, suggesting the government to remove the price cap on milk and meat and chicken.
The secretary also moved a summary demanding the government to remove the poultry products from list of essential items.
“Due to the capping of milk price, farmers are unable to sustain in the dairy business. Because of meager reward, poor farming communities have deliberately started producing less milk to minimise their losses, resulting in widening of demand and supply gap.”
He told the committee that revenue worth Rs 1.2 billion could be generated through extra milk production in Punjab alone if price cap on milk is removed.
The L&DD Department, he said, would not be able to ensure stable supply of said items during the holy month of Ramzan otherwise. Also the Punjab deputy commissioners demanded a sum of Rs 1,421.17 million from the government for tentage and other arrangements to establish 306 Ramazan bazaars in the province.
Published in Daily Times, April 13th 2018.
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