‘Unjustified’ move: K-P slaps ban on poultry exports to Afghanistan

Industry voices fear India may capture its market.

LAHORE: The Peshawar District Administration has imposed a ban on the export of poultry products to Afghanistan. Not only the country’s poultry sector will suffer a setback, but it could also completely lose the consumer market since it will be captured quickly by neighbouring India.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government is providing a transit route to India, Brazil and the United States for the shipment of food and poultry products to Afghanistan, but it will not allow shipment of Pakistani products as a result of the ban.

Pakistan Poultry Association North Zone Chairman Dr Muhammad Mustafa Kamal, while condemning the restriction, asked the federal government to take immediate notice of the matter and issue necessary instructions to the K-P government to lift the ban on supply of poultry products to Afghanistan.

The curbs have been put in place in order to arrest the increasing prices of poultry products because of higher demand this season. In the past few months, the market has grappled with the shortage of poultry products.

However, Kamal believes that the move lacks justification as most of the poultry exports to Afghanistan comprise cull birds, which are normally not consumed in Pakistan.

“It would be very unfortunate if we lose this market and hand it over to other countries. The export market is not like an on and off switch; once lost it is very difficult to regain,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 4^th, 2015.

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