It is a double whammy for the poultry industry as well as small farmers.
First the sector was hit by rumours in social media linking consumption of chicken to coronavirus pandemic. Now when those misconceptions have been allayed to some extent after awareness campaigns were launched by the industry as well as government, the poultry farmers suffer another blow on account of lockdown.
The poultry industry representatives and farmers have urged the State and Central governments to announce some relief and subsidies to the small poultry farmers who suffered huge losses and also ensure supplies of chicken and eggs to every nook and corner of country by easing the transport restrictions under lockdown and help improve immunity of people to fight COVID-19.
The poultry industry once again sought the government’s help to allay concerns over the COVID-19’s association with chicken and other birds.
When rumours surfaced linking chicken consumption to coronavirus, the industry saw the demand for chicken and eggs fall by 30% to 40%. Farmers resorted to distress sale and some had culled the birds.
In the red
Though the market recovered in the last couple of weeks from about ₹40 a kg of live chicken in February to ₹80 a kg of live bird now, and eggs are priced at ₹5 each, poultry industry representatives say that the industry continues to be in the red across the country.
The magnitude of loss suffered by the poultry farmers was so high in that one-and-a-half month that it will take a while for them to recoup the losses, said senior vice-president of Vetphage Pharmaceuticals Ramdas Kambale, provider of safe and antibiotic-free bacterial disease solutions for the poultry industry.
The Union Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries admitted that the poultry industry is losing ₹1,500 crore to ₹2,000 crore daily. All the allied industries that supply equipment and feed to the poultry industry also reported drop in sales.
Compound Livestock Feed Manufacturers Association (CLFMA) chairman S.V. Bhave said that the poultry demand and consumption is generally high in the period before and after Holi and farmers prepare accordingly raising more chickens than usual. However, due to the coronavirus crisis, the demand fell significantly and farmers had themselves removed the chicks.
MD of Sneha Farms D. Ram Reddy, a member of Broilers Coordination Committee, says that now farmers themselves cut down the broiler chicken production from 1.1 crore per day across the country to about 30 lakhs to 40 lakhs per day in view of restricted movement of feed, and villages barricading themselves as part of lockdown.
Even the 30% to 40% of birds raised in the farms too are not getting sold in the market as only 25% to 30% of shops are being opened for a limited time.
The movement of vehicles to red zones or containment zones across the country is restricted due to lockdown affecting supplies from feeder towns to major cities like Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The recovery in prices will not make up for the heavy losses already incurred by poultry farmers, Mr Reddy said.
The egg production also being calibrated as there is not enough demand due to movement restrictions. About 60% to 70% eggs produced in Telugu States go to other States which is not possible now due to lockdown issues, he said
Published - April 11, 2020 07:18 am IST
