Khost governor bans chicken from Pakistan

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): The governor of southeastern Khost province has banned the import of chicken from Pakistan and tasked security forces with strictly enforcing the order.

According to poultry officials, currently 40,000 chickens on average level are weekly imported to Afghanistan from Pakistan via Dan Patan border crossing in neighboring Paktia province, with some coming to Khost markets.

Governor Hukam Khan Habibi announced the ban during a meeting with poultry farm owners. He said the import of chicken meat from Pakistan was affecting local poultry industry.

Members of the Poultry Union say currently 500 poultry farms are functional in the country, offering 750,000 chickens to the market after every 40 days.

The trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan has declined in recent times as Kabul has focused on more its trade ties with Central Asian states.

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