Poultry sector hopes to get support from Govt

The poultry sector is bullish about growth prospects under the new government. Earlier too, the government was quite sympathetic towards the concerns of our sector, Poultry Federation of India treasurer Ricky Thaper said, adding that the sector is optimistic that its concerns will soon be addressed.

On June 11, Rajiv Ranjan Singh took charge of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying. The same day S.P. Singh Baghel and George Kurian joined the Ministry as Ministers of State.

A major issue with chicken and egg makers is the high import duty on maize, which is used as animal feed. At 50 per cent, the stakeholders find it quite steep. In the period when domestic farmers don’t sell it, the duty can be lowered. This will help the industry without hurting the farmers, Thaper said. Allowing import of soymeal will help the sector.

Import duty on machine parts should also be brought down from 18 per cent to 12 per cent, he said, adding that import of equipment is at 12 per cent.

He emphasized that not only there is no contradiction between the interests of the poultry sector and farmers but there can be a great symbiotic relationship. In fact, he said, the poultry sector is now an integral part of agriculture, playing a crucial role in meeting protein and nutritional needs of a large population. While the production of crops has been rising at a rate of 1.5 per cent to 2 per cent, that of eggs and broilers has been rising at a rate of 8 per cent to 10 per cent.

According to the Department of Animal Husbandry, the poultry sector has witnessed a remarkable growth, with chicken meat growing at an annual growth rate of 8 per cent in the last 15 years during 2006-07 and 2021-22 and eggs at 6.7 per cent during the same period. “Greater integration between crop production and poultry will greatly help double farmers’ income, which is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s objective,” Thaper said.

Over the past two decades, poultry has emerged as a major industry, making India a leading global producer of eggs and broiler meat, he said. Government assistance in terms of monetary incentives, disease surveillance, and institutional support has played a critical role in the growth of the industry, he added.

Thaper said that he looks forward to the Budget for a big boost to the poultry sector.