February 10, 2008	Sunday	Safar 02, 1429

MULTAN, Feb 9: With the increasing demand from Balochistan the poultry rate has gone up by at least 30 per cent in the local market, it is learnt here.

A number of private companies have reduced their production of day-old chicks, leading to the increase in its rates from Rs3 to Rs9 per bird.

On Friday, the wholesale rate of the live broiler in the city was Rs60 to 62 per kilo with retail prices ranging from Rs70 to Rs75 per kg.

Similarly, the broiler meat was sold for Rs95 to Rs100 per kilo in the wholesale market with retail rate between Rs110 and Rs120.

Poultry expert Dr Ziaur Rehman Bhatti believes that a sharp increase is expected in a couple of days after the farming of broiler has significantly been reduced owing to the bird flue rumours.

“Now consumers will get the meat at a high price due to low production.”

He says another factor that is discouraging farmers is the expensive poultry feed as its per bag retail rate has been raised from Rs1,024 to Rs1,074 in the first week of the current month.

According to Sanawan-based poultry trader Imran Pittafi, the supply of live broiler to Loralai, Qila Saifullah, Quetta, Kohlu, Ziarat, Barkhan and Rukni areas of Balochistan is increasing while a number of poultry farms are lying vacant after the bird flu rumours.

“In the past the demand of broiler from various markets of Balochistan had dropped to minimum after their requirements were being fulfilled by Karachi and other parts of Sindh,” Pittafi said.