Infrastructure issues withhold progress of India's poultry sector

India's poultry industry has huge potential that has not been fully explored due to infrastructure vulnerabilities.

India's poultry industry has grown remarkably in the past 40 years. The organised sector of the poultry industry is contributing nearly 70 percent of the total production. India produces 3.6 percent of total world egg production, and the annual growth rate of the egg industry is five to eight percent.

To the benefit of the Indian poultry industry, domestic demand and consumption are expected to continue growing.

But many problems have to be solved in order to meet that growing demand and fulfill the industry's potential.

Processing status is one of the major key issues of concern in India's meat sector. Other issues include the suspect quality and hygiene levels, high meat waste, the contamination and deterioration of meat, and cruelty to animals.

India has abundant raw material resources and a vast network of manufacturing facilities nationwide as well as manpower with expertise, but it has inadequate infrastructural facilities, poorly developed linkages between R&D labs and industry, and the low level of knowledge on hygienic practices.

These have placed the Indian meat and poultry market at a low position in respect to the global markets.

Currently the Indian government is exploring the opportunities of setting up mega food parks, modern slaughterhouses, improvised processing units, providing incentives to develop existing projects while taking care of changing consumption patterns and etc., in order to offer vast scope for rapid improvement and progress, and opening of the global markets.