December 28, 2005

India considers poultry export potential

India's Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) is considering setting up a first of its kind, Special Agricultural Export Processing Zone (SAEPZ) for poultry in Tamil Nadu.

India's bird flu-free status has garnered the interest of some Asian countries looking to vary import sources for chicken meat and eggs. India this year began exporting poultry products to Hong Kong, in addition to the Middle East.

The town of Namakkal in Tamil Nadu is said to be India's newest poultry hub. A separate forum, the All India Poultry Products Exporters Association (AIPPEA), has also picked the town for its headquarters.

According to AIPPEA, the Indian poultry sector is growing at the rate of 10 to 15 percent in layer and broiler segment respectively. Still, India's contribution to total world poultry exports is under 1 percent.

Leaning in favour of India's poultry export competitiveness is its low production cost for egg, which is below that of other countries. With other nations seeking out more sources of poultry product imports, India's bird flu-free status might just propel its poultry industry towards export growth.

There are also plans to upgrade cold storage facilities to international standards, as well as improve egg washing and grading, starting with Namakkal.