Feed price hike: Over 300 poultry farms closed in Balkh

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): More than 300 poultry farms have been closed due to increasing chicken feed and medicine prices in northern Balkh provinces.

Wasim, hailing from the Balkh district of the province, told Pajhwok Afghan News he had 5,000 chickens in his poultry farm at the beginning of the winter.

He sold 2,000 of the chickens while the rest died of cold weather. As a result, he suffered a loss of 700,000 afghanis, Wasim lamented.

Sher Ahmad, another poultry farm owner, said the recent cold snap had affected all farms, killing many chickens and inflicting losses on farmers.

A large number of poultry farms had been shut due to the increase in chicken feed prices in the province.

Maulooduddin, also a farm owner, said if the government did not address their problems and the situation continued, more such farms would be closed.

“Price of chicken feed have surged and so have medicine. We are forced to close our business,” he commented.

Mohammad Wakil Niazai, an official of the agriculture department, told Pajhwok 525 poultry farms existed in the province. But 300 of them had been closed in last two years, he confirmed.

He called the high price of chicken feed and medicine the main factor behind the closure of poultry farms. He promised to address the problem with cooperation from aid organisations.

Sa

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