Govt launches 'Backyard Poultry Initiative' to provide 5 mn chickens at subsidised rates

RAWALPINDI: In line with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s announcement to provide chickens to people in rural areas to boost the local poultry industry and fight poverty, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan inaugurated on Monday a project titled Backyard Poultry Initiative at Poultry Research Institute Rawalpindi.

The project is designed to provide five million pre-vaccinated ‘high laying chickens’ across the country, including federal capital, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.

The total cost of the project has been estimated at Rs1, 635.471 million, of which 30 per cent would be borne by the federal and provincial governments whereas 70 per cent by the beneficiaries of the project.

Speaking on the occasion, the federal minister recalled Prime Minister Imran Khan in his very first speech to the nation had expressed his grave concern over malnutrition and resultant stunted growth in children.

“This programme is one of the government’s steps for provision of animal protein and other food nutrients to malnourished population,” he said.

He said provision of cheap poultry products is a good step to address the issue of malnutrition.

“It is with immense pleasure that I am inaugurating the Backyard Poultry Project today. Under the project, five million vaccinated chickens would be distributed at subsidised rates among all and sundry,” the minister said.

According to National Nutrition Survey 2018-19, 40 per cent of children up to five years of age in Pakistan have different physical and mental health issues, he said, adding a survey conducted by the UNICEF Pakistan ranked this menace third.

Mehboob Sultan said:  “We need concrete steps to address the issues in infants and achieve zero hunger target.”

“Prime Minister’s Agriculture Emergency Program focuses on economic, agricultural and social revolution in the country,” he added.

He said this project could also prove vital for our women, especially those residing in villages. This initiative will strengthen them physically and economically for the government strongly believes that empowering womenfolk would guarantee a bright future.

The Punjab minister said this project is a big leap towards self reliance and poverty alleviation among the poor.

Jahangir Khan Tareen reiterated, “To bring agriculture revolution we shall leave no stone unturned.”

He said they hoped that after successful completion of these initiatives Pakistan would be able to export agricultural products instead of importing them.

Birds/chickens were distributed among the beneficiaries towards the end of the event.