Poultry association concerned at price control actions.

LAHORE -- The Pakistan Poultry Association (Northern Region) on Tuesday expressed concern over the action being taken by the Punjab government to control the prices of live chicken and meat.

'Where were provincial and federal governments when the farmers during the last six months were selling one day old chick and broiler at an average price of Rs20.8 and Rs129.9? During this time, one day old chick and broiler were also sold even as low as Rs4/chick and Rs89 against the cost of production of Rs45 and Rs160. Moreover millions of chicks and embryos were destroyed,' vice-chairman Chaudhry Muhammad Fargham said at a press conference on Tuesday.

He said the commissioner (animal husbandry) in the Ministry of National Food Security submitted cost of production to the chief justice of the Peshawar High Court as far back as March 2012 at Rs31.27 for day old chick and Rs132.50 per kg for broilers. The current costs are around Rs45 for day old chick and Rs160 for broiler.

As per calculation of the PRI director in Rawalpindi, the cost of production is Rs145 per kg live.

'The association in its various press conferences said the situation would lead to acute shortage of poultry products as the losses would result into reduction in production and that prices will...