Time to avert a poultry disaster

Mir Tahir Zaidi, Chairman, Pakistan Poultry Association, in a statement issued recently, pointed to a number of causes that have been adding to the industry's woes once again, thus posing a threat to its survival. Reference, in this regard, has been made, among other portents, to the devastating heat wave, as exacerbating by the menacing load-shedding and power breakdowns.
It goes without saying that his elaboration that the combination of these adverse factors would be as fatal for all types of poultry products, including breeding flocks, commercial broilers and laying birds, as for human population, should leave little to doubt. Quite understandable, as such, was his revelation that the sector had witnessed unprecedented mortality in recent weeks, more so in Punjab which has 70 percent of poultry population is worst hit, where mortality on some farms has been as high as 25 percent.
Viewed in so grim a perspective, the assessment of economic losses from the decline in the production of hatching eggs, table eggs, and broiler weight can hardly appear as exaggerated. For, as earlier pointed out in these columns, poultry farming serves as a trend setting example of fulfilling the demands of the market economy the government claims to be pursuing.
For one thing incontrovertible is the fact that the industry has so methodically organised itself, and in such a manner as to cause a revolution in the meat sector of the economy. Of all forms of meat, poultry meat which had remained the costliest for consumers for decades has become the cheapest now.
Which, to say the least, has proved instrumental in ending the predicament of the increasing number of patients advised to live on white meat, instead of the red meat, to which category belong both mutton and beef. Again, based as the price behaviour of white meat on the unfailing principle of supply and demand, the industry will appear to have taken due care to ensure against distortions in the market as usually noted in other commodities.
Needless to point out, there could no better proof of stability as discernible in the unique feature of rise and fall in prices across the country. This, of course, bears reference to the everyday price list of different kinds of live and slaughtered birds, along with eggs, as appearing in morning newspapers. As such, the poultry industry can be seen as providing no small a relief to the poorer sections of the population with the best in meat at affordable prices.
With credibility established beyond doubt, the fears PAA Chairman has voiced about the consequences of depletion of live chicken and breeding hen cannot be questioned. Naturally, therefore, as he has warned there will be significant reduction in supply of poultry in the weeks and months ahead, thereby creating a gap between demand and supply.
At the same time he has not ruled out the possibility of business watchers and others blaming poultry producers for manipulating prices and holding them responsible for price hike. In the same way he has referred to the likely reaction of the planners and policy makers, who are upbeat on growth in poultry and livestock in the days ahead, while remaining non-cognisant of the need for ensuring uninterrupted power supply for the trend-setting modern poultry farming.
However, while saying so, he has also pointed to the inherent weaknesses of poultry farming in its conventional form, which is no more sustainable for a lack of production efficiency. His argument that the industry needs to so transform itself as to become more efficient and sustainable is based on sound reason.
Again, acknowledging the Prime Minister's Poultry Policy as a step in the right direction, he has also drawn attention to certain missing links to some prerequisites to achieve the desired goals.
In this respected he has made a pointed reference the need for training and capacity building of available human resource, environment controlled housing, a smoothly running power supply chain, proper management of poultry products, packaging and processing of poultry, all together requiring investment in billions of rupees in infrastructure, and in a short span of time. Significantly, referring to the ground realities as adversely affecting the industry, he has pointed out, and rightly so, that 70 percent of production cost of chicken and eggs is 'feed', which has witnessed an unprecedented price increase in recent months, rising by 22 percent, the highest ever recorded in one calendar year.
It is feared that these prices may go further up, due to non-availability of broken rice, for the first time in the history of feed industry in the country. He has also stated that the target of 15 percent annual growth in poultry industry would require a corresponding growth in agricultural crops specific to poultry feed industry.
Viewing it as a challenging task, however, he said it could be accomplished from an enabling strategy if chalked out with the co-operation of the private sector and major stakeholders. It is up to the government to embark upon on a plan from the right approach.