March 16, 2004

India Poultry Industry Look To Holiday Season For Chicken Consumption Revival

Farmers in India are hoping that the forthcoming Parliament election and the holiday season will revive consumption of poultry products.

With the sale of chicken proving a near washout in February in the wake of the bird flu scare and the slow-down sale of layer eggs across the country, the poultry sector is now pinning hopes on these two factors that may offer some solace, poultry industry sources say.

"We feel the sale of chicken will improve by next month and with that the selling price too as the sale of non-vegetarian food during election time is generally anticipated to go up," industry sources said.

By next month, the Easter solemnities too would be over, which may lift the lid on restriction on consumption of meat reviving the hopes for the chicken trade.

The chicken price in the State, which fell flat since beginning of last month in the wake of sharp decline in the consumption levels, continue to sell at Rs 20-Rs 21 a kg, far below the production cost of Rs 26 as claimed by the broiler producers.

But the Broiler Coordination Committee (BCC) has chosen to keep the wholesale price tag at Rs 24 for the second consecutive week now.

The Palladam-based BCC has chosen to retain the price at Rs 24 yet again on the opening day on Monday.

In the case of the layer eggs, the farm-gate price at the Namakkal egg zone continues to be retained at Re 1 a piece, the same as last week.

The table egg price, which went up by 10 paise by first week of this month, fell again to the Re 1-level, and was kept at that level in view of the continued sluggish market across all primary egg production centres in the country, layer egg trade sources said.

The Namakkal-based National Egg Coordination Committee's zonal committee, which reviewed the price on Monday, decided to retain the last week's price tag of Re 1 per piece.