Poultry sector laments overbilling

Association says 55% hike noted in electricity bills in past 18 months

LAHORE:

Pakistan Poultry Association (North Region) Vice Chairman Muhammad Fargham has stated that poultry farmers are facing heavy losses due to Covid-19 and increased electricity bills are adding fuel to the fire.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, Fargham said it was observed that over the past 18 months, about 55% of electricity bills of the industry, in general, had increased.

“For the past few months, electricity supplying companies (Fesco, Gepco, Hesco, Sepco, Lesco, Mepco, Pesco, Qesco and Tesco) have been overcharging the entire poultry sector, which is not justified,” he said.

He added that poultry farmers were already facing acute problems and overcharging of electricity bills would cause further difficulties for them.

He requested high officials of the entity concerned to recover all its bad debts from electricity thieves instead of consumers.

Fargham claimed that the poultry sector supplied prime-quality protein food in the form of poultry meat and eggs at very affordable prices. “Poultry industry has annual turnover of over Rs1,000 billion, gives employment to over 1.5 million people directly and indirectly,” he added.

“Poultry farmers are facing heavy losses because of coronavirus. Due to less consumption of chicken meat, overall poultry business has collapsed,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2020.

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