Poultry Industry ready for challenges as South Asia’s Biggest event gets underway in Hyderabad

• 03 Dec, 2018
• India

India’s burgeoning Poultry industry has grown by leaps and bounds due to strict housekeeping, exacting ventilation, feeding practices, automation and disease control mechanism administered by responsible and trained farmers.

This has given India pride of place as the world’s 3rd largest egg producer. India is also the fourth-largest chicken producer after China, Brazil and USA. The industry today is estimated at nearly 100,000 crores and is one of the prime sectors focusing on food and nutritional security of the nation. India’s broiler production for 2018 is projected to increase by 7.5 percent to over 4.9 million tons. Demand for processed chicken meat is projected to grow between 15 to 20 percent every year. Layer production is forecast at 85 billion eggs, up 5 percent from the previous year.

“Yet, there are challenges,” said Harish Garware, President, Indian Poultry Equipment Manufacturers’ Association (IPEMA). Mr Garware was speaking at a media conference to announce the beginning of the 12th Poultry India Expo (November 28-30) and Knowledge Day Technical Seminar (November 27) at HITEC City. He was joined by several members of the Executive Advisory Committee, all Industry stalwarts from across the country.

Mr Garware said: “Ill-conceived allegations by foreign funded NGOs that India’s Poultry industry is against norms of animal health and upkeep has taken a serious turn. Motivated PILs have been filed seeking a ban on conventional poultry cage systems, the same system which successfully houses commercial egg laying hens across 90% in both developed and developing countries! These PILs also go against Hon’ble Prime Minister Modi’s laudable Doubling Farmers’ Income by 2020, alongside the Health For All for a Healthy India! The Indian poultry industry sees it as an agenda-driven design by these NGOs to break the backbone of India’s poultry industry and clear the deck for foreign poultry players to enter this lucrative market at the cost of livelihood of the small farmers of India.”

For nearly one year now, many Poultry Industry stalwarts have been knocking on Government doors, attended court hearings, produced several videos giving clear irrefutable facts to several government officials. Mr Garware said that if the proposed ban on conventional cages unfortunately goes through, nearly 6.5m farmers, associates and labourers are likely to lose their livelihood, cost of eggs and poultry meat will skyrocket, malnutrition will grow and the industry that contributes significantly to the national GDP will be the loser!

The cascading effect of a potential cage ban also threatens to drive up edible oil prices and put agro farmers of soya, sunflower, mustard, sesame, rice bran, cotton seed at high levels of distress. Edible oil is extracted from such crops. Once oil is extracted, the remainder is converted into de-oiled cakes (inedible proteins) and used as chicken feed. The bird converts this to edible protein. Selling these do-oiled cakes to poultry farms helps reduce the cost of edible oil for common consumers while greatly benefiting crop growers.

“Mr Garware added: “We are positive the Government will give us a sympathetic ear. Our Government is determined to safeguard our sector so that we continue to produce world class poultry meat and eggs. Today India’s poultry industry, with its enabling of low cost model with increased productivity, is a showcase of success across the world. It is one of the key contributors to India’s Agriculture and Animal Husbandry GDP. It contributes significantly to the eradication of protein deficiency and malnutrition and employs millions, especially women from rural India and has spawned dozens of small and medium entrepreneurs producing downstream products and services for the industry.”

Poultry India Expo – South Asia’s biggest – has attracted a record 325 major companies from India and abroad and is expected to draw over 30,000 business visitors across 27,500sqm and 5 exhibition halls at the HITEC venue which is become the pride of Hyderabad.

Source:- https://www.apnnews.com/poultry-industry-ready-for-challenges-as-south-asias-biggest-event-gets-underway-in-hyderabad/

The Exhibition’s main aim is to help farmers keep abreast of latest developments in management, animal health & nutrition, breeding and new techniques in feed manufacturing and poultry production.

 

A day prior to the Expo (Nov 27), Knowledge Day – the technical seminar – will shed light on various factors that beset the poultry industry. More than 1200 delegates from India, Europe, USA and SAARC nations have confirmed attendance, making the event biggest ever in its 12-year history!  Some of the world’s finest minds will speak on the latest scientific innovations in breeding, hygiene, nutrition, animal health, poultry equipment and branding.

 

Poultry India uses funds accrued from this annual Expo to promote a Protein Campaign which began several years ago so that India eradicates rampant protein deficiency. This campaign which is lauded by the Central and State Governments also increases demand for eggs and chicken.