Samuel H. Basil
The debate of banning imported poultry products in order to protect the local industry continues.
With the successful ban recently placed by the agriculture minister has taken effect for some months now.
The supermarkets who have imported bulk poultry products and cutlets from overseas are selling off their remaining stocks and pretty soon there won't be any more imported cutlets on the supermarket shelves.
My argument will be targeted towards making food available for all at an affordable price to feed the hungry population.
The ban has immediately turned the supermarket local poultry products into a luxury product and will be only affordable by few individuals who can afford it.
As soon as the imported stocks from the suppliers runs out the people will feel the pinch of the difference in prices which ranges from K7-K9.00 dearer.
Last week I took to the supermarket shelves targeting chicken wings with prices as provided below;
At Boroko food world chicken wings prices are as follows - K20.95 per/kg imported and K27.95 per/kg local with a huge difference of K7.00. (See caption photo)
While at RH supermarket located at vision city the chicken wings prices are as follows - K18.95 per/kg imported and K27.95 per/kg local with yet again a huge difference of K9.00. (See caption photo)
The similar price range and differences can also be seen on other poultry cutlets local verses imported.
A difference of K7.00 to K9.00 per/kg is a lot of money and as soon as the imported stocks runs out from our local supermarkets local price range will take over even dearer.
As an alternate government we will approach this in another way to protect the local industry and also driving the local prices down in order to make poultry products affordable to all.
Chicken feed is one of the most expensive single cost factor amongst others that contributes to the high prices of our local poultry products.
The government should remove import taxes and subsidize infrastructure materials for the local poultry industry so that local producers can bring their prices down.
Going back to food security, successive governments through the agriculture department hasn't done enough to grow our local meat industry.
All government abattoirs were already sold by successive agriculture ministers, livestock industry is dying away while cattle, goat, sheep, ducks, piggery industry are struggling to survive.
Yet again poultry (ducks incl.)!and piggery depends heavily on imported feed products and can be addressed through removal of import duty and subsidies.
A can of ox and palm now costs K15.00 in the outskirts of our major towns while double priced at the rural areas of Papua New Guinea.
Having a lot of hungry population is every country's nightmare and PNG must not be led down that path food must not be a luxury to any ordinary citizens.
I choose to feed the hungry population and make food available for all at an affordable cost.
While saying that and as I have stated earlier we (if in government) will aggressively help the poultry industry to lower its production costs to remain competitive with affordable products
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