Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday assured a delegation of the poultry industry that called on him that the State government would positively examine their request to recognise poultry as part of agriculture sector.
The delegation led by Telangana Broilers Association president G. Ranjith Reddy and Hyderabad Layer Farmers Association president K. Mohan Reddy explained to the Chief Minister that poultry units were suffering severe losses due to heavy increase in all input costs including power and feed (maize). They requested the Chief Minister to extending a helping hand as lakhs of families were depending on it for employment.
Responding to their pleas, the Chief Minister told that the government had information that about 25,000 poultry units were there across the State and the problems of the industry would be sympathetically examined. Finance Minister Etala Rajender was also present.
When contacted, Mr. Mohan Reddy stated later that they had made some specific requests to the Chief Minister on power charges as Rs. 8.70 per unit was being collected from poultry units against Rs. 1.80 to Rs. 2.50 per unit in other States. The Chief Minister agreed to give 50 per cent subsidy on what the industry was being charged now.
Further, the Chief Minister had agreed that the Markfed would supply maize stocks available with it at Rs. 11 per kg against Rs. 13 per kg being planned to be sold by it to others. The government agency had 2.86 lakh tonnes of maize with it now, Mr. Mohan Reddy said. On the import of chicken leg pieces from the US, they requested the Chief Minister to take up the matter with the Centre to stop it as it would adversely affect the local industry which was already in trouble.
He stated that there were about 6.5 crore broiler, layer and breeding birds in Telangana and income wise it was in fourth position in the world.
