January 17, 2022

Poultry farmers in  Khammam, India, seek protection from bigger industry players

Small poultry farmers growing broiler chicken in Khammam district, India, wants the state government to intervene in the market and save them from bigger players in the industry.

They have accused market players of manipulating prices at the expense of those growing below 15,000 birds who have suffered losses.

Battu Nagaraju, a poultry owner raising 10,000 birds at Gudurpadu in Khammam, said: "The price of broiler chicken is high when big players bring their product in the market. But it is lower when we take our chicken to the market."

Farmers said they incur an expenditure of ₹150 (US$2.02) to raise a broiler chicken for 45 days. Its weight is initially 2.5kg. Poultry farmers could gain some profit only if the price of chicken is ₹70/kg (US$0.94). However, traders sometimes buy broiler chicken from them for only ₹50/kg (US$0.67).

Nagaraju called for the price of broiler chicken to be regulated by the government to support small poultry farmers.

Lack of uniformity in prices in the state is also causing losses, farmers said. Such a situation creates confusion in the market.

Additionally, problems also arise after a bird’s age crosses 45 days. Feeding a bird past this limit is costly to farmers.

- Deccan Chronicle