Soybean crisis in Pakistan amid stranded GMO soybean cargoes
Poultry and Livestock Industry to face severe soybean crisis in Pakistan amid stranded GMO soybean cargoes at Karachi Port | سویابین پولٹری بحران؛ کسٹم انٹیلی جنس نے جہاز پکڑے
Technical Aspects of GMO and Soybean
جی ایم او سے متعلقہ مسائل اور حکمت عملی کے موضوع پر مشاورتی اجلاس، بائیو سیفٹی کمیٹی تشکیل
آئل سیڈ کی امپورٹ سے متعلقہ مسائل اور پولٹری انڈسٹری پر اس کے اثرات
The Pakistan Poultry Association has appealed to Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif for immediate intervention in the current situation, indicating that the production of chicken meat and eggs will end in the next few days. The Prime Minister of Pakistan has been appealed to immediately release the soybean and canola ships at Karachi Port and along with this, remove the tax on the import of corn like wheat. The association has said that if the cycle of poultry production is broken once, it will face huge financial losses.
It has been said that the broiler breeding operation starts with the grand parent flock and as a result of the production of parent flocks, it takes about sixteen months from the placement of broiler chicks to the production of broiler chickens. After the cycle is broken, billions of rupees and a year and a half are required for recovery.
Stranded GMO Soybean Cargoes and Poultry Crisis
Chairman Pakistan Poultry Association Chaudhry Ashraf says that if soybeans are not released, feed mills will close. Farmers have stopped laying chicks due to the possible unavailability of feed, which has reduced the demand for day-old chicks. Hatcheries are also closing down. Due to non-laying of chicks these days, chickens will not be available in the market in the coming weeks.
He said that even if soybeans are released on this occasion, there will still be a shortage of chickens and eggs, after which the situation will gradually return to normal. He said that along with poultry, the dairy and meat industries will also be badly affected by the shortage of soybean meal. The increase in the price of live stock feed will increase the price of milk and this is likely to affect the export of meat.
Federal Minister on Stranded GMO Soybean Cargoes
On the other hand, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema says that GMO soybeans are not allowed to be imported into Pakistan. The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Food Security held a meeting in which the issue of GMO soybean import was under consideration. In the meeting, Tariq Bashir Cheema said that GMO soybean is not allowed to be imported into Pakistan. Customs Intelligence seized illegally imported GMO soybean ships.
He said that if GMO soybean was coming to Pakistan since 2015, it was illegal. The law only allows the import of non-GMO soybeans. Under no circumstances can one be a party to wrongdoing. He said that the US ambassador also came to meet me on the issue of GMO soybean. The US ambassador said that once the ships are cleared, then impose a ban.
Harsh Talk on the Issue
There was also a bitter exchange between the federal minister and the importers in the meeting. Tariq Bashir Cheema said that the committee chairman has become the lawyer of the importers. On these remarks, the chairman of the committee, Rao Ajmal Khan, said that I am no one’s lawyer, the poultry industry has reached the brink of collapse. Ten of my own twelve poultry farms have closed. The committee meeting has been postponed.
The All Pakistan Solvent Extractors Association says that GMO soybeans are used all over the world. It is also used in the US. It has been used in Pakistan for a long time. It is wrong to suddenly ban it and leave the soybeans at the port to be destroyed.
They have demanded immediate intervention from the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
پولٹری بحران کا خدشہ، سویابین پورٹ سے فوری ریلیز کرنے کا مطالبہ
