Innovative Technology & Practices Transforming India’s Poultry Farming Sector
Dr Lata Kant , PhD Scholar ,Division of Physiology & Climatology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh – 243122, India
Email: lata.kant@gmail.com
Abstract:
India’s poultry industry has experienced incredible growth, and it has recently developed into a promising emerging market. With an annual growth rate of about 8%, poultry is one of the agricultural sectors in India that is expanding the most rapidly. The poultry industry has undergone a complete revolution owing to the superior broiler and layer stocks. The fastest-growing segment of the world’s demand for meat is for poultry. In India the expansion is being aided by, swiftly expanding poultry industry. Comparatively to other livestock products, the consumption of poultry products, such as meat and eggs, is currently significant and is expected to continue to rise. Therefore, it’s critical to understand briefly what recent strides have been made in poultry nutrition and what the field’s future directions will be for sustainable production.
Introduction:
In India, poultry farming has advanced significantly over the past ten years. India, which has a population of over 1 billion, represents a sizable potential market for poultry meat. India is the third-largest producer of eggs in the world, with an estimated 129.6 billion eggs (in shell) produced by 392 million hens by 2021 (BAHS). Per capita availability and consumption is maintaining at 79 and 70 eggs respectively The amount of eggs produced in India is increasing at a CAGR of over 8%. Livestock accounts for 14% of national GDP, while the poultry sector makes up 1%. With an efficiency improvement of about 14%, the feed conversion ratio in the production of broiler meat has decreased to 1.55-1.6 from 1.8-1.9 a decade ago. Similar innovations have been made with hen-housed eggs and hen-housed hatching eggs in the layer and breeder sectors as well. The amount of meat produced has increased by 2.9% since the Red Revolution. Rising incomes as well as modifications to the framework for poultry production and marketing appear to be driving the rapid growth of poultry production and consumption in India. The main structural change driving production growth is the emergence of integrated producers, which combine breeding, feed milling, contract growing, and marketing activities, improving productivity and lowering marketing costs. Improving the supply of poultry by importing better breeds is necessary to meet the rising demand for poultry products. The structure and function of the poultry industry in India have undergone a revolution thanks to technological advancements. In many areas of the nation, it developed into one of the most specialized enterprises. The potential for poultry farming to grow and create jobs is enormous. Determining nutrient needs and composition, developing the least expensive feed formulations based on energy and amino acids, using biotechnological products in poultry feeding, and supplementing with nanominerals are among the most recent advancements. The future directions include using alternative raw materials, substituting phytogenic feed additives for antibiotic growth promoters, concentrating on the development of the gizzard and gut health, using next-generation feed enzymes, and in ovo nutrition.
Technological Change in Poultry Sector
Development of Superior Germplasm
The primary goal of poultry development was the production of superior germplasm. The addition of elite stock gave poultry breeders options and significantly increased the output of chicken meat and eggs. White Leghorn was initially imported for egg production, and through the family-selection technique, the breed was further improved. For the creation of superior layers and broiler germplasm, a number of pure breeding programmes were established at CARI, at various centers of the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on poultry. The creation of high-yielding hybrids is carried out using the pure lines.
Nutrition and Feed Technology
The majority (70–75%) of the operational costs of raising chickens are related to feed. As a result, increasing feed efficiency is crucial for maximizing profit. In tropical climate conditions, poultry feed formulations were created or revised, and alternative and unconventional feed sources need to be studied. To maximize production, the nutrient needs for different bird classes and age groups were identified. Unusual poultry feeds were found, techniques for detoxification and raising feed quality were standardized, and strategies for enhancing nutrient values (enzyme utilization) were developed.
Change in the farming systems
The development of technologies in management, nutrition, and healthcare systems are accountable for the progress in all areas of poultry production.
Smart poultry production and data recording for analysis
Bird density and distribution patterns in commercial bedding floor poultry houses are important considerations when assessing production management and the health and welfare of the animals. The method based on machine vision can track the distribution of chickens on the ground in areas designated for drinking, eating, and resting or playing. In order to identify broiler chicken floor distribution patterns, behaviors, and welfare indicators in commercial production facilities and a real-time evaluation tool. The egg industry has its own set of Artificial Intelligence applications. For many applications requiring optimal egg white foaming, the quality of the egg white – for example, the absence of any trace of yolk – is critical. Modern breakers operate at extremely high speeds, in the range of 200,000 eggs per hour or roughly 60 eggs per second, making it impossible for the human eye to detect an error.
Food safety
In order to reduce the use of antibiotics in animal feed, herd health issues must be significantly improved. However, in order to avoid the risks of antibiotic resistance in humans, it is also important to manage antimicrobial drugs sensibly.
Organic poultry production
In recent years, consumer awareness of organic food products has increased because nearly all food ingredients are grown using intensive production techniques that make heavy use of chemicals and pesticides to control diseases and pests. In India, free range farming is regarded as organic if the birds are raised without the use of drugs or other feed additives.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The poultry industry faces a number of challenges that artificial intelligence may cope with. Artificial intelligence (AI) is used in the layer farming industry to perform tasks like egg collection, grading, and quick identification of high-quality eggs. In the poultry processing industry, the incorporation of machine vision and intelligent automation has greatly enhanced carcass quality and packaging. Artificial intelligence is now used in poultry farming to improve welfare and health monitoring of the birds. AI-powered systems assist with the housing and management of poultry by using machine vision, sound analysis, feeding behavior and water intake tracking, animal activity monitoring, and radio frequency identification.
Gene Editing Technology
Genome editing in poultry can improve disease resistance and meat productivity. By targeting egg white protein genes, genome edited poultry can economically produce protein drugs with improved biological efficacy. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome-editing technology has developed rapidly over the past decade, and has been applied to the production of various genome-edited livestock, including poultry. Genome editing, animal breeding, and advanced animal genomics based on genome sequencing technology can be combined to create novel poultry lines with desirable traits like heat tolerance or disease resistance.
Breeding for Tolerance to Climatic Stresses
Climate change is an alteration in the area’s typical weather conditions over time. Tolerance to heat stress is greatly influenced by a few key genes, including the frizzle and naked neck genes. To enable more effective heat dissipation, these genes cause the bird’s total feather cover and feather structure to decrease. A population with naked necks (CARI-MRITUNJAI) that is more suited to tropical climates has been developed.
Poultry Products:
Additionally, chilled and frozen chicken parts are now offered in a few high-end supermarkets where affluent customers are willing to pay a 30 to 40% premium over wet market prices. For the layer industry to continue to grow steadily, increasing domestic egg and egg product consumption is crucial. Both organized and unorganized sectors contribute to the value addition of chicken meat. Poultry meat based processed food businesses in India have a lot of potential, but mostly in urban areas. Various chicken products have been created by the ICAR-Central Avian Research Institute (CARI) and Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Izatnagar, It’s crucial to keep in consideration that the majority of chicken meat products with added value, including meatballs, nuggets, patties, and sausages, are made from deboned chicken (meat from the back, breast, leg, and wing).
Emerging Technologies
It is now possible to transfer the desired gene from a donor to a heterologous recipient in order to increase its production or to produce the desired pharmaceuticals or protein by virtue of developments in the fields of molecular biology and embryo manipulation. At ICAR-CARI, the first chick of the millennium and the first guinea fowl keet were developed using an ex vivo embryo culture system. The application of microinjection, blastodermal cell, and primordial germ cell (PGC) transfer procedures, as well as their speed and ease of use, have been made possible by these new techniques and modifications, which have increased the embryo survival rate.
Conclusion and Future Perspectives:
Even though the poultry industry has experienced tremendous growth on all fronts, productivity can still be increased by implementing suitable strategies. All the aspects of poultry industry will be significantly impacted by the explosion and research in molecular biology knowledge to find out effective strategies for improved and quality production. India’s poultry industry is expected to grow further and becoming more industrialized. There is a bright future for poultry production in this nation as a result of the advancement of knowledge and new researches in multiple fields of poultry.
Innovative Technologies and Practices Transforming India’s Poultry Sector
