Hyderabad: November 2: Poultry breeders’ associations and industry leaders from across the country have agreed to work towards maintaining a minimum benchmark price of ₹110 per kg for live chicken, amid concerns over frequent price fluctuations and rising poultry feed costs.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting organised by the All India Poultry Breeders Association (AIPBA), Pan India Breeders Association (PIBCC) and various state-level poultry associations at Novotel Hotel in Shamshabad, Hyderabad, on Monday.
The meeting was attended by AIPBA Chairman Bahadur Ali, PIBCC Convenor Vasanth Kumar Shetty, Telangana Poultry Breeders Association President Dr A. Tirupathi Reddy, Venkateshwara Hatcheries General Manager K.G. Anand, Shalimar Group Managing Director Sameer Agarwal, Suguna Foods Managing Director Vignesh Soundararajan and Premium Chick Feeds Co-founder Dr Girish Kolwankar.
The participants discussed the recent fluctuations in broiler chicken prices and the challenges arising from increasing maize prices and the availability of feed ingredients, particularly in view of the anticipated El Niño conditions.
Industry representatives said the recent decline in chicken prices was largely seasonal, owing to reduced consumption during the festival period. They appealed to poultry farmers and traders not to panic, stating that the market fluctuations were temporary.
The meeting also called for the Centre’s intervention to reduce poultry feed costs by facilitating duty-free imports of non-GMO maize. The participants stressed the need to make effective use of the availability of soybean in the domestic market to meet the industry’s feed requirements.
As a follow-up to the meeting, representatives of the participating associations will meet government officials and policymakers in New Delhi next week to seek policy interventions on feed ingredient availability, rising input costs and price stability.
The industry leaders said coordinated efforts among breeders, farmers and policymakers were essential to address the challenges and ensure the sustainable growth of the poultry sector in the country.
