This week, central and local leaders of Bangladesh Poultry Industries Association (BPIA) and National Council to Protect Poultry Farms of Bangladesh (NCPPFB) urged the government to take effective steps including special budgetary allocation of 30 billion taka (BDT) for further growth of the country's potential poultry industry.

Addressing a press conference, they said that several crucial problems created artificially and also lack of pragmatic policy support have been threatening the very existence of the poultry sector in the country, reports New Nation.

BPIA Mymensingh district unit and NCPPFB jointly organised the press conference at the local Press Club, saying that the sector is now on the verge of collapse due to unethical business by a section of the businessmen. NCPPFB General Secretary Khandaker Mohammad Mohsin, district unit President of BPIA Md. Raiqul Islam Talukder, General Secretary Md. Kamal Pasha, Organizing Secretary A.T.M. Moniruzzaman, Netrokona district unit President Rizvi Khalid Khan Titu and Jamalpur district unit President Dr A.F.M. Shahan Shah addressed the press conference.

The leaders said though the sector has significant contribution to the national economy generating huge employment, it is now on the verge of collapse as unscrupulous businessmen are making huge money by taking advantages of absence of effective trade regulations and market monitoring in the sector.

They alleged that the companies involved in producing day-old chicks, poultry feed and medicines have been making profit ranging from 100 to 300 per cent and at the same time producing adulterated poultry feed and medicines that causes enormous financial losses to small- and medium-scale farm owners.

New Nation reports that they urged the government to allocate BDT30 billion in the next budget for providing soft term loans for the farm owners, BDT2 billion to set up biogas plants at prospective places, the setting up of a Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institution (BSTI) and activation of the current one, a ban on the import of all chicks, eggs and chicken meat and finally, the formulation of a comprehensive action plan to fight bird flu.

The leaders said thousands of poultry industry owners are ready to make the government's 'One home - one farm' programme a success and help materialize the charter of change if pragmatic steps are taken for healthy survival and steady growth of this sector.