ISLAMABAD, March 8: With people avoiding poultry because of bird flu fears and renewed smuggling of livestock to Afghanistan and Iran have pushed meat prices up over the past two weeks.

Following the detection of H5 virus in two poultry farms in Charsadda and Abbottabad, meat prices witnessed an 18.18 per cent increase.

Sources said that the hike in prices was also caused by export of the meat to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The average price of beef (buffalo) rose to Rs130 per kg (with bone) from Rs110 during the last two weeks. At this time last year, the price was Rs75 per kg.

The price of boneless beef has gone up to Rs160 per kg from Rs140 per kg.

The price of mutton has increased to Rs250 per kg from Rs230 per kg during the period. Last year, the price of mutton was Rs170 per kg. The price of beef (cow) with bone has risen to Rs140 per kg from Rs120 and the boneless beef to Rs160 per kg from Rs140.

According to official figures, meat valued at Rs814 million was exported during the year 2004-05 as against Rs710 million in the previous year, an increase of 14.64 per cent.

It is learnt that the average price of beef (with bone) in Afghanistan is Rs180 per kg and of mutton is Rs280 per kg, and the price of beef in Tehran is Rs416.28 per kg and of mutton Rs416.28.

This price difference is an incentive for smugglers to smuggle meat to Afghanistan and Iran, causing a shortage in the local market and also losses to the national exchequers on account of tax evasion.

Talking to Dawn, All Pakistan Jamiatul Qureshi Meat Welfare Association President Khursheed Ahmad Qureshi said that the government had failed to take steps to control meat prices.

He said the government had promised in a meeting with the association last year to import around 1 million animals to meet domestic needs. But so far only 481 animals have been imported from India.

He said that the quarantine requirement discouraged the import of animals from India through Wagah border, because carrying out blood tests on animals over a period of 14 days led to weight loss.