Associations warn of meatless days ahead

The meat merchants association demanded that a ban be put on the export of meat and livestock.

KARACHI: Thousands of cattle have died during the floods that have ravaged the country, paving the way for a food shortage, the meat association warned on Wednesday.

They said that there will be a dire shortage of cattle at Eidul Azha. The meat merchants association has written the federal government, informing it of colossal losses to the sector. They demanded that a ban be put on the export of meat and livestock.

The president of the meat merchants association, Saleem Qureshi, and secretary Jehangir Qureshi asked the government to import 1,000,000 cattle to help the livestock sector. The association also advised the government to put a ban on serving more than one dish at weddings and other events.

The government must pay close attention to the supply and sale of edible items, they added. The livestock supply from the rest of Sindh has also stopped completely, and the poultry industry in Sindh and Punjab has been severely affected.

Profiteers have taken advantage of the widening gap between supply and demand of food items and have started to stock up on commodities. The sale of different kinds of pulses has stopped at Jodia Bazaar. Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association President Anis Majid said standing crops of the moong lentil in Multan and Layyah in southern Punjab have been completely inundated.

According to officials, the wholesale price of moong has skyrocketed to Rs166, channay per kilogramme cost Rs68, maash is Rs155 per kilogramme, masoor is for Rs130. Meanwhile, the price of Kabuli channa (white chickpea) has risen to Rs95. “We might have to rely on imports to meet demand,” said Majid, adding that these imports should be tax-free.

The chairman of the poultry association in Sindh, Kamal Akhtar, said losses can be assessed properly only after the floods have passed. Karachi Retail Grocers Alliance said that they are not getting any food items for government set prices at the wholesale level.