Claim industry suffered Rs600 cr loss | Inventory of eggs, chicken unable to reach markets
Pashudhan Praharee Network: Mar 27, 2020
The poultry industry in Jharkhand is staring at losses worth hundreds of crores, as its inventory of both eggs and chicken is unable to reach the markets.
The problem has aggravated further with the government ordering a clampdown on commercial establishments and factories, including those making feed for poultry in Jharkhand. The feed stocks at most poultry farms are enough to last for just a day or two. Even the entry of soya and corn, from outside the state has stopped, because of restriction in interstate movement of goods.
Farm owners say they fear large-scale death of birds because of starvation, if the situation does not improve.
Anuj Shrivastava, who owns a poultry farm in Jamshedpur, says he and other poultry farmers in the area are going to appeal to the Govt. to allow scientific culling of birds at the farms, in case feed cannot be provided.He further added to Pashudhan Praharee that “here in Jharkhand most of the farmers are associated with integration companies like Suguna foods private LTD,Shalimar hatcheries ,Pasupati agrovet Pvt LTD etc…
Farmers have not been paid their part of growing charges since February because of this corona outbreak.
Most of the farmers have suffered huge loss and in deep depression .They have risked their assets like jewellery ,land ,vehicles and at last lost everything.
We still have some very crucial time left to save farmers and poultry industry which is backbone of rural employment. Goverment has to allow feed vehicles, transportation of ready birds from immediate effect.This is the only way farmers and the entire industry can survive.
At present scenario a farmer doesn’t have any option left than committing suicide if the govt authority is unable to uplift the ban on poultry sector.”
Praveen Shrivastava, president, Jharkhand poultry farmers association, says he has sent a representation to Hon Minister for Agriculture & Animal Husbandry. “Why would anyone diversify to poultry if the government does not support it? Clamping curfew is the last nail in the coffin for the poultry industry, which is already selling live birds at a loss of Rs70 per kg, and eggs at a loss of Rs2.95 per egg,” he says, adding that the combined loss of the industry in Jharkhand alone is to the tune of Rs600 crore. He says farmers in Jharkhand are going to approach the animal husbandry department seeking nod to cull the birds, which anyway are dying of starvation.
The CEO of Jharkhand state women self supporting poultry cooperative federation ,Dr Pankaj Das told that the whole poultry farming in the state has been devasted amid the COVID19 curfew.The farmers are unable to feed their birds,Even the feed production has been stopped.No vehicle carrying poultry feed, poultry ready birds, eggs are allowed to run on the road during this lockdown period.Thausands of poor tribal people are engaged on this poultry farming but from now they all will become unemployed.Only God can save them.Dr Pankaj and Praveen srivastava added that
“We want immediate intervention of concerned department and authorities to look into the matter and do all the needful to continue our livestock rearing smoothly”.
The secretary of the Pashupalak Sangha Jharkhand ,Sri Sriniwash singh told to Pashudhan Praharee that more than 20000 people are directly engaged in the poultry farming besides 30000 indirectly associated with this profession in Jharkhand. There is a huge potential of this poultry sector in jharkhand as our state’s 80% demand for broiler chicken and eggs are fulfilled by other states like WB, Odissa,AP.
If the state Govt take this sector in the priorities list, definitely it will prove an important tool in employment generation and socio economic development .
