Poultry industry: Marketing, supply chain key to growth

There are 6,500 farms in Pakistan, against a demand for 4,000.

FAISALABAD:

There are 6,500 poultry farms in the country against a demand for 4,000 farms. In Lahore alone, 2,500 farms produce 1.6 million kg chicken meat per day, said speakers at a workshop on Environment Controlled Housing at New Senate Hall of University of Agriculture Faisalabad on Thursday.

It was organised by UAF’s Department of Poultry Science.

UAF vice chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmed said poultry was now the second largest industry in the country after textiles. He said investment in poultry had crossed Rs400 billion. He said the industry could be further developed and made internationally competitive by investing in marketing and supply chain.

He said the university was committed to transfer knowledge and research outcomes to farmers. .

Dr Muhammad Sarwar, Faculty of Animal Husbandry dean, announced the formation of a committee to
work with farmers in solving their problems.

He invited representatives of the poultry industry to become members of the committee.

Sultan Mahmood, Poultry Science Department’s chairman, said the department was established in 1961 as Department of Poultry Husbandry.

He said it was renamed Department of Poultry Science in 2005.

He said the department had conferred186 MSc (honors) and 17 PhD degrees and produced 326 research papers at national and 53 at international level.

Haneef Arshad, a poultry farmer, said farmers were worried about the recent hike in feed prices.He said halal meat was in high demand abroad and that the country could benefit by focusing on its production. He said egg export to Afghanistan and Central Asia could also be boosted.

Later, Habib-ur-Rehman of Olympia Group gave a presentation on environment controlled housing.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2011.