PFA discards 900 sick chickens

LAHORE :To ensure provision of healthy food to the citizens, Punjab Food Authority (PFA) checked 218 poultry farms across the province and discarded around 900 sick chickens on Sunday.

Officials said the move was initiated on the directions of PFA Director General Noorul Amin Mengal. They said that inspections were carried out in 47 poultry farms in Lahore division, 31 in Rawalpindi, 29 in Multan, 42 in Gujranwala, 19 in Sargodha, 46 in Faisalabad, 21 in Bahawalpur and 29 in Dera Ghazi Khan.

Officials said, during inspections, around 900 sick chickens which could not stand on their feet or were having other health issues were found at 18 farms and were discarded immediately. They added that improvement notices were issued to 89 poultry farms while samples of chicken feed were collected from every poultry farm and sent to laboratory for checking.

Noorul Amin Mengal while talking with The News said that chicken was a basic food and PFA would not tolerate any negligence in raising chicken at poultry farm. To a question that checking of poultry farms is the purview of Livestock Department, he said that ensuring safe food to citizens was the job of PFA.