Poultry industry needs support

At the opening of the 10th International Poultry Show and Seminar in Dhaka, poultry entrepreneurs stated that Tk. 30,000 crore was needed to meet the increased demand for chicken meat and eggs by 2021. This is a major sector that has created millions of jobs and grown to cover some 150,000 poultry farms that produce about 57 crore tonnes of meat and 734 crore eggs per annum to provide much needed protein in our diet. This has been made possible thanks to tax benefits given by the government as well as the entrepreneurial spirit of businessmen. However, for capita consumption to continue to grow healthily to 2021 when the population is estimated to reach 172 million, the industry is asking for withdrawal of advance income tax and duty on essential raw materials to enable satisfactory expansion.

To what extent the government will entertain these demands is a policy decision. But the large-scale culling of poultry whenever a serious disease like bird flu hits is not helpful. While it is near impossible to counter an outbreak of the disease, much can be done to curtail unhealthy practices that exist in the wet markets of the country where slaughter of both poultry and cattle take place. Hygienic conditions, if maintained, can radically reduce contamination and outbreak of sickness among birds such as poultry. This requires the strict enforcement of slaughtering laws that already exist and we urge authorities to implement them. One cannot discount that the poultry industry is not merely a provider of jobs to millions, but has played a significant role in fighting malnutrition in the country. Its continued growth is something we should all strive for.