PAKISTAN - Profits of poultry farmers in Pakistan have been declining for some weeks owing to the sharp decline in chicken meat prices and hot and sultry weather that does not allow birds to gain much weight.
      According to Asian Agribusiness, poultry farmers said costs also increased because of higher electricity and feed charges. “The poultry feed rates have registered unusual increase this year owing to shortage of grains,” said Abdul Basit, Pakistan Poultry Association’s former chairman.
      He said production of corn, an important ingredient of poultry feed, had declined in the country because the area under its cultivation was curtailed last year.
      Mr Basit said the price of a poultry feed per bag of 50-kg had now risen to PKR 1,500 (USD 17.50) from PKR 500 (USD 5.80) a bag in July 2008. The feed rates could come down if the government removed the 25 per cent tariff on the import of corn, he added.
      由于鸡肉价格猛跌，加之炎热天气阻碍家禽生长，巴基斯坦家禽养殖户养殖利润已经持续下跌了数周。
      据《亚洲农业经济》报道，家禽养殖户们称高涨的用电与饲料价格带来了养殖成本的增加。巴基斯坦农业协会前任主席Abdul Basit 称，由于谷物短缺，今年家禽饲料价格增长速度非常罕见。他同时表示，上年种植面积的缩减致使巴基斯坦家禽饲料重要原料——玉米产量随之减少。
      Abdul还表示，目前50公斤袋装的家禽饲料价格已由2008年的500巴基斯坦卢比/包（5.8美元/包）升至1,500巴基斯坦卢比/包（17.5美元/包）。若政府免除玉米进口关税（25%），饲料价格有望下滑。