Date:20/02/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/02/20/stories/2004022003601201.htm

National

Poultry industry seeks `confidence-building measures'

By Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI, FEB. 19. Concerned at the falling prices of eggs and poultry in the wholesale market and the dip in exports despite India being declared free from bird flu, the representatives of the industry today had a meeting with the Central Government, seeking urgent "confidence-building measures."

A high-level meeting held by senior officials of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Agriculture reiterated that there were no cases of bird flu in India or even in the SAARC region. The virus that had hit Pakistan was a much milder H7 strain.

The latest report of "bird flu" in Orissa is also found to be incorrect. The birds there are said to have been infected by Infectious Bursal Disease, a respiratory disorder, which had nothing to do with avian influenza, the officials said.

Industry representatives, however, bemoaned that they had suffered losses up to 50 per cent in the sale of eggs and poultry as the demand had dipped following the outbreak of bird flu about a month ago in some South Asian countries.

The worst hit are the small poultry farmers who cannot hold on to the produce. The demand in the domestic market has decreased and there has not been any significant spurt in exports too. Export of poultry and its products by private sector range between Rs. 120 and Rs. 200 crores a year.

The meeting was attended, among others, by the Andhra Pradesh Poultry Federation of India, the Compound Livestock Feed Manufacturers Association of India, Mumbai, the National Egg Coordination Committee, Chandigarh, Poultry Federation of India, New Delhi, North Zone Broiler Breeders Association, Haryana, representatives of poultry farmers, processors, NABARD and the NCDC.

The demand for broiler had crashed from Rs. 30 to 35 a kg live weight to Rs. 12 to 14 a kg now. Likewise, the price of eggs had dipped from Rs. 1.50 an egg to 0.70 paise. Only now has there been some recovery in the price to Rs. 1.10 an egg, but the broiler prices continue to be low.

Industry bigwigs said they were organising "chicken melas" in various cities to instil confidence in people. In these melas, known personalities publicly eat eggs or chicken to demonstrate that they were safe. Film stars, Sanjay Dutt and Sunil Shetty have been roped in for this. In smaller towns unfertilised eggs are being projected as a cheap source of protein to boost sales.