Pakistan could import $1.5 billion worth of GMO soybeans in 2025

Pakistani poultry farmers are investing heavily in strengthening the supply chain in anticipation of a significant drop in feed market prices as the first shipments of GMO (genetically modified organisms) soybeans are about to arrive in the country.

Poultry feed prices in Pakistan are set to fall in the next few weeks as the market is eagerly awaiting the first shipments of GMO soybeans in February, Dr. F. M. Sabirs, chairman of Sabirs’ Poultry, recently told the local press. Price reductions are already underway, he added.

“Given the current market prices and the expected increase in supply in the soybean market, feed mills are already reducing prices,” he said.

It is estimated that Pakistan could import $1.5 billion worth of GMO soybeans in 2025.

The Pakistani government’s decision to lift the ban on GMO-soy imports in November 2024 after years of heated debate has been a boon for the poultry industry. The move, which was welcomed by the Poultry Association of Pakistan, is expected to bring relief to nearly 60% of poultry farmers who were hit by the crisis, with many on the verge of bankruptcy.

The poultry industry is recovering

Pakistan’s poultry industry, which has been in deep recession for the past few years, will experience a significant rebound in 2025.

Sabir said farmers are becoming noticeably more optimistic. “The industry is already increasing the broiler population and getting back into expansion mode, and we hope to return to our previous broiler allocation of 14.5 million heads per year,” he said.

As a result of the crisis in the feed industry, broiler production fell to 11 million head last year. That figure, Sabir admitted, is insufficient even to meet domestic demand.

The Pakistan Poultry Association estimates that Pakistan will produce 1.4 million tons of poultry meat a year and 11.2 million eggs between 2023 and 2024.

Consumption will increase

Significant changes are expected in the retail industry. Sabir said that due to increased supply, chicken prices, which have risen sharply in recent years, are expected to come down.

“This will also help increase chicken consumption,” Sabir said. The positive development should coincide with an overall improvement in Pakistan’s economy expected in 2025.

In 2023-2024, Pakistan consumed 3.80 kg of poultry meat per person per year, according to the Poultry Association of Pakistan. Poultry accounts for 40-45% of the country’s meat consumption and this share is on an upward trend.

Tags: soybean, Pakistan