Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) Punjab Zone on Tuesday denounced a reported secret deal between the government and a foreign poultry company, expressing its apprehensions that it would damage the local poultry industry at large scale.
Addressing a joint press conference here, the Chairman PPA Punjab Zone, Shahid Mehmood Dar, ex chairman Dr Muhammad Aslam, Zahid Aslam, and others said that the recent news that an agreement between Government of Pakistan and 'CP Group', a poultry company of Thailand has been signed had sent a wave of concerns in the local poultry industry.
They said that the current volume of Pakistan poultry industry was about Rs 140 billions and there were about 25000 poultry farms in the country, while the Poultry sector generated employment and income for about 1.2 million people. About 35-40 percent of the total meat consumption is being procured from poultry products, they added.
Shahid Mehmood Dar claimed that the government has leased out 66 acres of land near Lahore to a Thai poultry company on nominal rates while the MOU has been kept secret. "Some sources have informed us that other livestock farms land is also being leased out to CP group on nominal rates which is currently under use of the livestock department for research and development purpose", Dr Muhammad Aslam disclosed and termed it as a 'prejudice' and 'discrimination' against the local poultry industry.
He urged the government not to give land to any foreign company on uncessionary grounds to undertake poultry business in Pakistan arguing that the local poultry industry was producing more than the country's demands.
He informed the journalists that a resolution to this effect was also passed by the stakeholders of Pakistan Poultry Association in a meeting held at Lahore few days back.
He explained that PPA had written letters to the Federal Secretary Food, Agriculture and Livestock Islamabad and Secretary Livestock and Dairy Development Department Punjab seeking a copy of the MOU signed between the CP Group and Government of Pakistan aimed at getting the details of the MOU but no reply had been received yet.
They said that the government's plan to sign an agreement to bring foreign direct investment in a sector that was already saturated and passing through a critical break even phase after bird flu shock since 2004, was irrational. The poultry industry of Pakistan expects from the government to provide a level playing field and not grant undue incentives to the foreign investors, they said.
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