Poultry scheme stages another comeback

The Poultry Research Institute in Rawalpindi has relaunched its "Desi Murgh Pal" (Local chicken farming) programme on a self-financed basis, foregoing subsidies.

Under the new initiative, a set of five hens and one rooster will be available for Rs3,300.

Previously, during the tenure of former prime minister Imran Khan, the programme was launched in 2020, offering the same set at Rs1,050, later increased to Rs1,300 by 2022. Over three years, the programme provided a total of one million units to the public. However, the PDM government discontinued it in June 2022.

The department had sought approval for the programme's revival in the current fiscal year but received no subsidised funding from the Punjab or federal governments.

Consequently, the programme is now being run independently, without government support.

During the PTI era, the hens produced up to 240 eggs annually.

The birds were a crossbreed of indigenous and "Aseel" chickens, developed at nine poultry centres across Punjab, including Rawalpindi, Attock, Bhakkar, Dina, Jhelum, Gujrat, Sargodha, Mianwali, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Bahawalpur, and Bahawalnagar.

The earlier project had been highly popular, with demand for the bird sets exceeding availability.

This time, the officials have vowed to maintain the same quality with the set price reflecting the increased costs of poultry feed, medicines, and raw materials.