March 3, 2006	Friday	Safar 2, 1427

KARACHI, March 2: Poultry traders further reduced the prices by Rs six to Rs48 per kg at retail stage from Rs54 per kg last week. The new rate will be effective from Friday. Six days back, the industry slashed the rate by Rs four to Rs54 from Rs58 per kg amid growing consumers’ reluctance in buying chicken after bird flu scare.

During this period poultry bird price has dropped by Rs10 per kg according to the rates published by the Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA). The development has taken place following detection of mild bird flu strain in some parts of the NWFP three days back.

Chairman Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA), Raza Mehmood Khursand told Dawn from Lahore that sales had been depressed for the last few days and fallen by 20-25 per cent all over the country.

“The situation has not been as devastated at this moment as it was in 2004, when poultry rates had dropped sharply,” he said.

General Secretary Karachi Wholesalers’ Poultry Association (KWPA), Kamal Akhtar Siddiqui, said that the declining sales had been causing losses to the poultry farmers but, so far it is premature to say how much the industry has suffered.

He still believes that sales in Karachi have fallen by 10-15 per cent as compared to higher sales decline in the Punjab.

In Karachi, there has been a disparity in the rates as retailers, who are facing dearth of consumers, are seen offering discount on the poultry bird to clear their stocks.