The West Bengal poultry industry hopes to close its massive gap in egg supply within three years or so. Currently, the State ‘imports’ one crore eggs daily from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The famed fish-eating Bengalis also have a tremendous appetite for eggs consuming 2.5 crore pieces daily. Of this, 1.5 crore pieces are sourced from the various poultry farms within the State and the rest come from outside — mainly from the two southern States according to the B. R. Das, CEO, West Bengal Poultry Federation.
He said that over the years, egg consumption had increased with medical issues regarding egg consumption getting resolved gradually. However indications are that through the efforts of the West Bengal government and the industry, the demand-supply gap may narrow if not close within three years, Mr. Das said.
“The government’s 2017 scheme has now taken off very well,” Mr. Das said adding that this involved subsidy on electricity and interest as also an ex-gratia payment. At present, there are about 200 egg farms in the State.
Employment generation
Applications have been received for 80 more under the new incentive scheme. If realised, this can employ about 1,500 youth, who may even be school drop-outs.
According to Madan Mohan Maity, a poultry farmer at Chunpara in the State’s Jhargram district (which produces about 10 lakh eggs daily), the consumption growth rate in West Bengal at 20% was far higher than the national average of 5% . “This is because it is a cheap and easily available protein which can be bought at ₹five apiece — even a cup of tea is costlier,” he quipped.
The various campaigns to promote egg consumption had also increased demand.
A State government official said that the aim of the West Bengal Incentive Scheme 2017 for commercial layer poultry farm and poultry breeding farm was to make the State self-sufficient in egg production. This was drafted as a special scheme to mitigate the gap between the demand and supply of eggs through the establishment and strengthening of commercial duck and lay chicken farms.
Mr. Maity said that the a 10,000-chick farm would need an investment of ₹1 crore which banks are ready to finance. The federation had signed a MoU with the State Bank of India. It also imparts skill training to willing entrepreneurs.
