FIAB for closing mills making toxic poultry feed from tannery wastes

The local poultry feed producers have urged the government to shut the toxic feed mills producing hazardous feed from tannery wastes in order to ensure quality protein supply.
The Feed Industries Association Bangladesh (FIAB) at a meeting at its office in Dhaka Thursday said if the hazardous feed continues to be supplied to the market the quality poultry supply by the farmers would be difficult.
The small poultry farmers are being cheated as they purchase the low-cost toxic feed leading to massive health hazards for the consumers of chickens, said FIAB president Moshiur Rahman.
 "Although the market of such substandard feed is very small, the health risks are very high. Therefore, the government must shut these so-called feed mills without wasting time," he added.
Despite several drives by law enforcers, mills at Hazaribagh in the capital continue to manufacture poultry feed with toxic tannery wastes, he claimed.
FIAB claimed that there were at least 20-25 factories in Hazaribagh and Gabtoli areas in the capital which were producing poultry feed using toxic tannery wastes.
Poultry industry leaders urged making it mandatory for every feed mill to be registered under the government authorities concerned and also FIAB, a step which would help stop the illegal business and maintain feed standards.
The FIAB leaders claimed those who were involved in making such toxic feed were not the members of the association. "Many have started the illegal business by taking trade licences from the City Corporation."
In March 2014, a factory at Hazaribagh was sealed and fined by a government mobile court while conducting a drive against the production of the hazardous food.
Another drive was made in the same area few years back. The High Court also issued a rule for the same, but the factories were still operating, the poultry industry leaders said.
The FIAB president thanked a drive conducted Wednesday last by the Department of Environment that sealed four toxic food producing factories in the Hazaribagh area.
Khondker Monsur Hossain, secretary of FIAB, said sealing off one or two mills can't root the problem out.
 "According to our information, there are at least 20-25 factories operating from Hazaribagh to Gabtoli areas that are producing poultry feed with toxic tannery wastes," he added.
FIAB leaders said the poultry industry in Bangladesh was supplying "high quality animal protein at the cheapest price".