August 30, 2006
Platform for poultry at ILDEX India
An eFeedLink Exclusive
At a 15-percent annual growth, India's broiler production is testament to the commercial entrepreneurship, creativity and challenge of the poultry sector, and an example of how such productivities and efficiencies are required to drive the India livestock industry.
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Yet as livestock production becomes increasingly technology intensive, growing the industry would demand a continual upgrade of expertise. And bridging the gap between this necessary technology input and current local needs is how India's first International Livestock and Dairy Expo (ILDEX) sees its role.
Beginning on Sunday, 27 Aug, the three-day event carried a strong dairy cattle theme and considerable poultry presence, reflecting India's core livestock profile. Some of the biggest booths at the show included Alltech, which played up its cattle feed and nutrition services in India, top poultry-related companies like Stork Food Systems and Aviagen, and Indian poultry integrators like Skylark and Suguna. Local animal health companies, particularly in Indian herbal-based feed additives, were also present in considerable numbers alongside a total of 115 exhibitors from 15 countries.
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Speakers at a conference tackling issues facing the future of India's poultry and livestock |
As the fourth largest egg producer and fifth largest for broiler meat in the world, India's poultry sector has come a long way since the 1960s. Where 15,000-20,000 birds were once the norm for a large-scale poultry farm, the current standard is now at least half a million, says Sashi Kapur, president of the Poultry Federation of India.
Layer production today is 300 eggs a year and above, compared with 220-230 eggs then. Feed conversion rates among Indian poultry today are 1.8 or lower. And today, India can be proud that it produces vaccines that have provided solutions where imported ones have failed. That the poultry sector has also grown and succeeded, even exported, without the help of government subsidies is indeed a matter of pride.
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A specially arranged visit by farmers from nearby Rajasthan added a good dose of colour to the New Delhi expo
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But new and pressing challenges have presented themselves, one of which is the incidence of highly pathogenic bird flu. Since the contagious avian disease first struck India in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat in February, producers, both small-scale and commercial, have been "reeling from the attack of extremely high feed prices and not so remunerative egg and broiler prices," notes Kapur.
Dr KP Kumar, a general manager at Suguna Poultry Farm which manages over 11,000 contract farms in 10 states nationwide, says that in the immediate days after bird flu, the company took to cooking and giving away broiler meat for free in the villages close to its operations. Although none of Suguna's farms were stalled.
Domestic consumption took a beating but has since recovered remarkably, adds Dr Kumar, who reveals that the company's broiler meat sales are expected to hit the 30 percent annual growth average for this year. Exports to Saudi Arabia are on the verge of a restart, and Dr Kumar is optimistic that Suguna's exports of high-value meat products to Japan will begin as soon as ongoing registration procedures are completed.
Judging from commercial producers like Suguna, government efforts to contain the virus and provide assistance to poultry producers have been instrumental in overall damage control. Efforts to boost the credibility of local broiler meat have included roping in popular local celebrities in campaigns, implementing a relief package of Rs 14.36 billion (US$308.75 million) grants and soft loans, and providing alternative employment to affected rural farmers.
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But India, say its poultry players, has a long way to go in terms of boosting productivity. Japan, a far smaller country, has 15 percent higher egg production volumes. China, the only country whose population exceeds that of India's, produces 10 times more eggs. For broiler meat output, India's 1.8 million tonnes per annum pales in comparison to Brazil's over 8 million and 15 million in the United States. While concerted domestic efforts between the government and producers are crucial, platforms like ILDEX India, which inject an element of international interactivity, are what the local poultry industry needs in its next lap of growth.
The Rajasthan farming community signing up for eFeedLink's directory listing service, eFeedBiz
