MULTAN, June 4: The shortage of two major poultry feed ingredients – wheat and rice – is indirectly hitting the poultry farmers of south Punjab who are already facing losses due to low chicken prices in the market.

The wheat shortage in the feed sector stems from the government decision under which the poultry feed millers have been barred from purchasing the commodity from the open market. The decision was taken to overcome an acute shortage of wheat flour in the country.

As the prices of two major poultry feed ingredients have sky rocketed, the millers, especially those with smaller units, have shifted the burden to poultry farmers by charging more for the products. This has increased the production cost for the poultry farmers.

The situation is alarming for the farmers involved in rearing of broiler as its consumption is going down resulting in low market price.

Wheat contributes about fifty percent in the manufacturing of various types of poultry feeds for layers, broiler and breeders but after the imposition of ban by the government for the feed mill owners regarding its purchase the industry is now facing the worst ever crisis. According to an expert, Dr Javeed Khan, wheat makes 50 per cent of the total ingredients of the poultry feed, while rice is also a major component.

He said the shortage of wheat and the record increase in rice price would adversely affect the poultry industry and could force farmers to close their business.

A Shujabad-based poultry farmer, Ramzan Hussain, said the average cost of production of the broiler was Rs75 per kilogram, but the wholesale rate in most parts of southern Punjab was Rs57 and the ongoing slump was further increasing the losses. He said there was no proper mechanism to announce increase in the poultry rates keeping in view the cost of production.

The traders said Balochistan and Afghanistan used to be major markets for the poultry products of south Punjab, but due to the prevailing low rates the buyers were now preferring Sindh.