The TRS government has done more for poultry farmers of Telangana than any government before. We, the poultry fraternity, thank him for the support. – Ranjith Reddy Gaddam
India’s poultry industry is one of the largest in the world. It employs over 25 million people and feeds millions of people. It contributes Rs. 95,000 crores to the economy each year. Since the turn of the decade, however, our industry has been in severe crisis.
At the worst stage (during 2011-2013, when soybeans prices have touched Rs 48/Kilo mark and maize Rs 18000/MT), it cost us Rs.68 to produce a kg of chicken, but we were able to collect only Rs. 27 from the market for it. Similarly, we were producing eggs at Rs. 3.25 per egg and were selling it at Rs. 2.20 per egg. Nationally, we sell 63 billion eggs and 3.6 billion kg of meat each year you do the math.
We were losing Rs. 41 for every kilo of chicken and 95 paisa on every egg we sold. Imagine this multiplied by billions
Mind you, these are rates which, we, the farmers got. By the time the produce reached you, it has passed layers of distribution that added to the price you paid.
The rise in input cost – we feed the chicken a mix of maize and soybeans – and the inflation in labour and utilities cost was making our future bleak.
Meanwhile, the World Trade Organization wants to dump Americas rejected chicken (mainly leg pieces, which are seen as unhealthy) on Indian markets. This waste chicken is sold frozen, and is cheaper; the customer is fooled and not aware that it is months old, but buys it over the healthy fresh stock we sell.
Last year, our delegation met Telangana Chief Minister, Mr. K Chandrashekar Rao, requesting him to provide us power and maize subsidies, to keep us at par with the poultry farming industry across the country.
The Chief Minister understood our concerns and took measures to ease the burden on us by Rs. 60 crores.
He has passed a GO approving a reduction in the rate of electricity for poultry industry by Rs. 2 per unit. Our industry consumes 24 crore units of electricity per year. This subsidy eases our burden by Rs. 48 crores.
In the last few months, he has also passed orders for a temporary subsidy on maize that would reduce the burden on us by Rs. 12.15 crores.
The CM has also accredited the poultry industry with an Agriculture status, which enables us to get loans on priority. It also gives us the confidence that our government will back us when we battle a crisis.
Telangana is only the 4th state in the country to give Agriculture status to the poultry industry.
We, the poultry farmers of Telangana, appreciate the government’s assistance and thank CM KCR for his timely intervention. We are proud to represent Telangana state on the global industry map, and commit to maintaining the high standards expected from us.
Courtesy: www.saddahaq.com
