Poultry Industry Warns of Chicken Shortage

The poultry industry has warned that chicken may become scarce in markets within the next two months, citing an unsustainable tax burden on producers.

General Secretary of the Broiler Farms Association, Asif Gondal, said the industry is facing a severe crisis due to additional taxes, claiming that total taxation on chicken and related products has risen to around 65 percent.

He said maintaining supply during periods of shortage is already difficult, and warned that continued taxation could lead to a near disappearance of chicken from the market within two months.

Asif Gondal stated that while the cost of a chick is sometimes less than Rs20, producers are paying around Rs10 in taxes per chick, pushing the poultry sector to the brink of collapse.

He urged Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to take notice of what he described as an impending crisis, warning that it could be more serious than previous shortages.

Gondal said Pakistan had previously exported poultry products, but is now facing growing domestic shortages. He added that before 2014, there was no sales tax on poultry, and production levels were significantly higher at that time.

The Broiler Farmers Association has called on the government to form a committee to hold talks with farmers and withdraw what it terms excessive taxes.

Warning of possible protests, Gondal said that if the demands are not addressed, farmers may stage peaceful demonstrations and could ultimately shut down poultry farms.

He added that while food items are subsidized globally, in Pakistan, they are being heavily taxed. He also criticized government-issued official price lists, saying consumers are unable to purchase chicken at the officially fixed rates.