KARACHI: Suleman Chawla, acting president of FPCCI, has expressed his deep concern over the detention and non-clearance of 0.6 million tonnes of soyabean at Karachi Port and has categorically warned that it will result in a massive shortage of poultry feed in the country.
He added that poultry and dairy products are already beyond the purchasing power of consumers in Pakistan and have only recently shown some initial signs of price stability.
Any further supply disruption will totally destroy price stability and drive food inflation even higher, he added.
Chawla apprised that the importers are suffering heavy demurrages and terminal charges due to the detention and when coupled with unavailability of dollars and its price volatility, it will result in unbearable financial losses to the importers. He demanded that the government should make a swift call on the issue to avert worsening of food security in the country.
He maintained that licensing and genetic modification have never been any issues with the soyabean imports from the US as the importers have been importing from the same suppliers for many years on a recurrent basis.
How, at once, the authorities can decide to detain the soyabean consignments and that too without any regard for the serious repercussions on the importers, manufacturers, poultry and dairy sectors, food inflation and above all the food security of the country, he questioned.
Chawla highlighted the fact that soyabean by-products are primarily used as feed in poultry and dairy sectors due to their high protein content and positive effects on milk production organically – as its protein content is as high as 44 percent. Additionally, poultry is the primary source of protein in the food basket of masses and their dependence has been further cemented by the internationally skyrocketing prices of pulses and staples for many years now.
He also demanded that undue demurrages and other charges should also be waived off because they incurred due to a bad decision in the very first place. It is the responsibility of every government to protect the business, industry and trade community, he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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