Illegal chicken imports hit Laghman poultry farms hard

MEHTARLAM (Pajhwok): The importation of chicken and its meat from Pakistan has rendered the local poultry industry struggling with survival in eastern Laghman province.

Doctor MuhabatullahMuhabbat, head of the poultry farms owners union, told Pajhwok Afghan News there were about 200 poultry farms in the province — half of them raising broiler and the remaining half hens for eggs production.

“Chickens are imported from Pakistan when our chickens become ready for sale in the market, this forces us to sell our chickens at half price”, Muhabbat said.

He asked the government to ban the imports of chickens to the country or they would be forced to close their poultry farms.

He also encouraged investors of the country to invest in vaccination and imports of veterinary medicines because there were up to 1000 chickens in each farm.

Aalim Khan, a poultry farm owner in Ahmadzai village of Qarghai district, told Pajhwok Afghan News that he has been in the business since 15 years and said the imports of chickens damaged their market. He urged the government to ban the import of chickens from Pakistan.

“When chickens grow enough in poultry farms of Laghman province, low quality chickens are imported from Pakistan, such imports cause us financial losses,” Khan added.

However, the Department of Agriculture and Livestock said it would not allow any illegal imports from Pakistan.

Mawlawi Mohammad WaliMuhsin, the head of Agriculture and Livestock department, told Pajhwok Afghan News they had banned illegal imports of chicken from Pakistan in the past and would not allow anyone to import sick or unauthorized chickens to the country.

aw/ma

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