ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition & Physiology signs MoU with KPFBA

• 30 May, 2023
• India

Bengaluru, May 29, 2023: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research – National Institute of Animal Nutrition & Physiology (ICAR-NIANP), on Friday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Karnataka Poultry Farmers and Breeders Association (KPFBA) to further collaborative research in the field of poultry sciences. The MoU was signed by Dr. Raghavendra Bhatta, Director of ICAR-NIANP, Bangalore, and Dr. B.Sushanth Rai, President of KPFBA.

As the poultry sector faces enormous challenges, the need for collaborative research, particularly in the field of animal nutrition is becoming urgent. The two entities will exchange technical knowledge so as to deal with the nutritional challenges in a scientific manner, underscoring the importance of animal health and consequently giving quality products to the end consumer.

Dr. Raghavendra Bhatta stated that the institute has been carrying out considerable research activities in animal nutrition, including poultry, and that this knowledge has to reach out to the poultry community across the country. The MoU, he added, would promote inter- organizational knowledge exchange, key to understanding the ground realities while ensuring healthy nutrition for the birds. ICAR-NIANP has state-of-the-art facilities for feed and mineral analysis in Ovo nutrition.

Giving details about the activities of KPFBA, Dr. Sushanth Rai said the poultry farming sector was huge in Karnataka, both organized and unorganized, and the sector required scientific inputs on nutrition so as to offer not only quality products but also be competitive in the world market. Dr. Rai said KPFBA would share commercial flock details of its members for evaluation by the Institute and it would be a win-win situation. The KPFBA collects and disseminates information pertaining to poultry breeding and farming with farmers, businesses, educational, research institutions and other organizations in Karnataka and rest of India. There is urgent need for active collaboration between the researchers and the poultry sector, he added.

Mr. M.C.R.Shetty, Past-President of KPFBA said that increased productivity meant that birds are closer to their physiological limits, hence nutrition becomes important along with other factors such as environment and farm management. Such collaborations, he added, would help poultry farmers improve their understanding of the importance of nutrition, this MoU has added another feather to the cap of KPFBA.

Dr. G.B.Puttannaiah, Chairman of the Technical Committee of KPFBA said poultry has its own specific nutritional needs that includes protein for overall growth; grains which provide Vitamin B and Vitamin E; Greens along with Riboflavin which improve the immune system; calcium and Vitamin D and above clean water.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Anjan Goswami, General Secretary, Mr Inayath Ulla Khan, Executive Secretary of KPFBA and Dr. Umakantha B, Senior Scientist - KPFBA. From the ICAR-NIANP side, the representatives were Dr. AV Elangovan, Principal Scientist, Dr KVH Sastry, Principal Scientist, Dr. DT Pal, I/c PME and Dr Atul P Kolte, I/c ITMU.

It may be mentioned here that the KPFBA has also tied up with the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU) and set up one of its kind state-of-the-art Poultry Training Center & Diagnostic Laboratory which has been doing a number of tests, helping the poultry farmers of Karnataka and other states.