November 26, 2010

Indian poultry industry boasts of material analyser tool

India has begun to implement information technology and biotechnology in its poultry sector with the new material analyser, a tool which could analyse moisture, protein, fibre and fat content in a few seconds.

Mr Vasu Chithiravelu, Technical Sales Manager of Biomin Singapore Pte Ltd, said the company launched a product called 'PoultryStar me' that helped poultry firms to get rid of antibiotics while they reared the birds.

"The EU has banned import of poultry products with residues of antibiotics. This could hamper exports from India. Realising the problem, some Indian companies have begun to use probiotic strains isolated from healthy chicken," he said.

The Mysore-based Zeus Biotech Ltd showcased, what it claimed, the first feed-specific enzyme for feed manufacturers. "Usually, they use industrial grade enzymes. But we have developed feed-specific enzyme. This can be used in poultry, piggery and aqua sectors to the specific requirements," Mr Jose Jinesh, Director (Marketing and Exports), said.

The company, which registered a turnover of INR12 crore (US$2.63 million) in 2009-10, exported its products to 10 countries. "The enzyme helps in development of feed that would have better acceptance by the birds and animals," he said.

There are two software solutions for making the job of feed mixing easier. Apart from the multinational Bestimixsoftware solution, a Hyderabad-based company Logic Soft Solutions displayed 'Eco-Mix' software which provided a tool that could compare formulae with standard feed types.

Mr P Balachandran, Joint Managing Director of the Coimbatore-based Infotrend Software Technologies, said small and mid-sized poultry firms were beginning to see the benefits of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software.

"We have five installations. It helps them connect with their dealers and keep their inventory and accounts under control," he said.