Pakistan’s Punjab poultry sector receives a boost

A memo of understanding agreed between partners from academia and the industry looks likely to offer new opportunities for the poultry industry of Punjab province.

Nichols Poultry1

A memo of understanding agreed between partners from academia and the industry looks likely to offer new opportunities for the poultry industry of Punjab province.

The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) in Lahore and Rawalpindi-based Sadiq Group signed the agreement this week, reports Business Recorder.

Signatories were UVAS Vice-Chancellor and Meritorious Professor, Dr. Talat Naseer Pasha, and Human Resources Manager of the Sadiq Group, Toseeq Ahmad. The partners agreed to draw up jointly recommendations to promote poultry production in Punjab and other provinces through links between academia and industry. Among these will be opportunities for UVAS students to receive internships and training at Sadiq’s poultry production and processing facilities.

According to an earlier report in Business Recorder, Punjab is the center of Pakistan’s poultry industry, accounting for 70 percent of the nation’s poultry farming. Eighty per cent of the country’s eggs are produced in the province, along with 85 percent of compound feed output and all the poultry processing plants.

In an interview with the newspaper, Pasha attributed the importance of the province to the availability of plentiful supplies of locally grown crops and agricultural byproducts. However, he also expressed concern about the country’s reliance on imported soybeans and corn (maize), which he said push up feed prices.

Earlier this month, it was reported that the threat of Newcastle disease was adding to the Pakistani poultry sector’s concerns, following a prolonged period of high production costs and low prices.

The growth of Sadiq Poultry

Sadiq Poultry (PVT) Ltd. was founded in 1975 by Dr. Muhammad Sadiq, according to the company’s web site. It was incorporated in 2004, and now operates nationwide, generating an annual turnover of PKR4.5 billion (US$43.0 million). With more than 3,000 employees, the company’s products include SB Chickens, table eggs, day-old chicks and organic fertilizer.

The latest newsletter from UVAS reports on its ambitions to modernize and improve education in the veterinary sector, with a particular focus on developing leadership and communication skills. The University has also recently opened a new lab offering amino acid analysis of feed ingredients, both for research purposes and for the feed industry to improve diet formulations.

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