India is using delaying tactics to export soyabean meal to Pakistan which is adversely affecting Rs 75 billion local poultry industry, Pakistan Poultry Association sources told Business Recorder here on Thursday.
They said that 73 poultry feed manufacturing units of the country are heavily dependent on the annual import of 500,000 tonnes of Soyabean Meal from India. These units are the source of livelihood for 2,00,000 families besides they also supply eggs and chicken meat.
PPA has conveyed the concerns regarding the poultry feed millers who had opened LCs for import of SBM from India to Railways with the request to take up the matter with Indian authorities to fulfil the contractual obligations.
In a letter to Secretary Pakistan Railways, the association had said "the Indian government is giving the excuse of inability of Pakistan Railways to provide efficient and scheduled interchange of wagons for non-transportation of SBM, which is obviously unfounded."
PPA said that 10,000 MTs SBM imported by Islamabad poultry feed-manufacturing units alone is awaiting transportation from India, leaving aside import orders of other units in the country. "If this situation persists, the importers would be compelled to cancel their Letter of Credits resulting in shortage of feed supply to the poultry farmers," the sources apprehended.
They said that lesser availability of feed prepared with expensive alternative vegetable protein sources would in turn increase the prices of eggs and poultry meat, detriment to the interest of the consumers.
A senior government official told Business Recorder that Railway authorities would take up this matter with their Indian counterparts on top priority basis but the under the present arrangements, PR is responsible to provide locomotive (engine) and the technicians to fetch the goods carriages from the India's Attari Railways Station but not beyond that point.
He said that if an Indian goods train does not reach Attari, then Pakistan Railways is helpless. "However in view of the increased volume of bilateral trade during past one year, Pakistan has proposed to India to increase the frequency of interchange of wagons of the two Railways to facilitate the importers/exporters for timely transportation of their goods," the official added.