The poultry industry of India has experienced significant growth over the past 25 years, despite abnormal increases in input costs and a constant fear of avian influenza.

 

The Indian poultry industry is shaping up to be a well-organised sector without much interference from the government and remains to have good prospects for a successful future.

 

It has an annual production of 53,000 million eggs and 3.2 million tonnes of poultry meat and now counts among the biggest egg and broiler producers in the world. At the current level of production, the poultry sector contributes about US$9.3 billion to the gross national product and provides direct and indirect employment to over 3.2 million people. Additionally, over 20 million corn farmers and 500,000 soy farmers are directly dependent on the poultry sector, as more than 80% of the corn and a very substantial share of soy meal produced in the country are used by the poultry industry.

 

The poultry sector in India has undergone a paradigm shift in structure and operation – it's transformation from merely a backyard activity into a major commercial activity has developed in a very short time. The introduction of hybrids like Hyline, Shaver and Babcock in the early 1906s laid the foundation of this industry. Farmers made profits and poultry expanded leaps and bounds. Input by the feed industry in providing high-quality nutritional layer rations helped the industry to march forward and very soon large farms were set up with 1,000-2,000 layers. In 25 years, such farms expanded to have 200,000-500,000 layers under the banner of private and cooperative farming.

 

With good quality feeds, better hybrids and proper management, production of up to 300 eggs per hen housed is obtained on many farms. Considerable support from the veterinary, health and poultry equipment manufacturers contributed to rapid expansion. The contribution of all ancillary industries to poultry production is widely recognised. Over 80% of all layers are reared in cages, leaving about 20% on floor; birds on the floor belong mainly to the small-scale sector in remote villages.

 

In the broiler sector, India has achieved an unprecedented rise, estimated to produce 3.2 million tonnes of poultry meat. This industry began from scratch with the introduction of Arbor Acres broilers in 1960. A multinational company in Bombay was asked to prepare feed for the parents. The best FCR recorded was 1:3 at 10 weeks of age with about one kilogramme body weight. Things have changed drastically since then as the present breeds - Ross and Cobb - achieve an FCR of 1.75/1.80 with an average live weight of 1.5 kilogrammes at 35-37 days of age, with less then 5% mortality.

 

The industry is establishing itself with the introduction of processing plants. Soon, all chickens will be processed in modern abattoirs to produce clean, edible poultry meat. Today, chicken meat is the cheapest meat available in India. Mutton and fish prices have sky-rocketed. Largescale production ensures that there is a steady supply of birds to the market. Meanwhile, consumers are assured of fresh chilled chicken at affordable prices.

 

Growth in the broiler sector has been phenomenal as well. Earlier, broiler farms produced an average of 200-500 chicks per cycle. Today, units with less than 5,000 are becoming rare and units with 10,000-50,000 broilers per week are now common. Many small layer units shifted to broilers as they are able to recycle their incomes in six weeks.