Per capita poultry consumption in Pakistan is 4.26 kg per annum

FAISALABAD: Although, poultry industry has emerged as the second largest industry of the country after textile with investment of Rs 300 billion, yet per capita consumption of poultry meat is only 4.26 kg per annum in Pakistan as compared to 30 kilogram in the developed countries.

This was revealed at a meeting of University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) officials with the delegation of seven billion Thailand Company Agro Industry Food Business Group of CP Group at Syndicate Room here on Wednesday.

The meeting was chaired by Faculty of Animal Husbandry Dean Professor Dr. Muhammad Sarwar while the Thailand delegation was headed by company Vice Chairman Nutthakrit Sivarsi.

Public Relations and Publication Principal Officer and Entomologist Professor Dr. Muhammad Jalal Arif, UAF Department of Poultry Science Chairman Professor Dr. Sultan Mahmood, Punjab Board of Investment and Trade Director Project Omar Khan, PBIT Director Babar Bajwa other notables were also present on the occasion.

The Thailand Company is likely to make a heavy investment in the poultry industry of Pakistan.

Professor Dr. Sarwar said investment in poultry sector must be coupled with research and development which is, no doubt, an integral part of this industry.

He said collaboration with University of Agriculture, Faisalabad would help improve opportunities in this sector.

He said that foundation of Commercial Poultry Industry in Pakistan was laid in 1963 based on technical guidelines provided by the UAF.

He said that the industry is growing with the each passing day and the foreigners should also come in the country to invest in the industry.

Professor Dr. Muhammad Jalal Arif said Pakistan had a history of outbreak of various diseases including Leukosis, new-castle disease, hydro pericardium syndrome, infectious bursal disease and avian influenza etc.

To cope with the situation, preventive vaccines against disease have been developed by joint ventures of public and private sectors, he added.

He said he welcomes the delegation and the university would leave no stone unturned to help them in the sector.

Nutthakrit Sivarsi said that he is very pleased to visit the

country and his company is interested in investing in the country in the area of poultry.

He said that they are eager in joining hands with the university in the form of manpower, researchers and resource persons that can help boost their business. On that, the university welcomed and assured them of all cooperation.

Professor Dr. Sultan Mahmood, throwing light on the current situation of poultry, said that the importance of the poultry meat can be measured as it contributes 24.7 percent of total meat produced. Punjab is having lion share in the sector as the total investment in the sector is Rs.300 billion out of which Rs.200 million is invested in the province.

He said that poultry farming is rapidly transforming from open sided to Environment Controlled Housing as total ECHs are standing at 6,500 in Punjab out of which Lahore div is having major share with 4500 ECHs.

The rest are mainly located in Faisalabad, Multan, Sargodha and Rawalpindi divisions.

He said Pakistan was producing poultry feed of 5.4 million tons out of which Punjab is contributing 3.7 million tons.

Moreover, he said that country was producing 598 million day old chicks, 8.81 million breeders, 32.54 million layers and 542.72 million broilers while only Punjab is producing 482 million chicks, 8 million breeders, 25.34 million layers and 409.64 million broilers, he added.

Talking about growth of Poultry Meat vs Red Meat, he said that poultry meat production has risen to 138 per cent, beef 77.3 per cent while the mutton production has decreased to 5 per cent.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011