Government last year put a ban on the importation of all poultry products including dressed chickens, table eggs and breeding stock mainly due to the bird flu scare.

“Government lifted the ban on the importation of breeding stocks in December last year and we hope that pressure on poultry products should start falling by March this year,” said Stewart in an interview.

But director of animal health Wilfred Lipita clarified yesterday that government did not necessarily ban the importation of breeding stock. He said government only tightened measures for their importation.

The ban on importation of poultry products created panic buying of the products, a factor that has led to the sky-rocketing of their prices.

For example, table eggs which previously fetched K10 each before the bird flu scare appeared on the international scene have risen to an average of K16 each.

Similarly, dressed chickens which used to sell at K299 per kilogramme are now selling at an average price of over K325 per kilogramme.

Source: The Malawi Nation