28 July 2021 – The Karnataka Poultry Farmers & Breeders Association (KPFBA) has urged the Government of India to immediately step in and allow for import of soya bean meal, one of the main ingredients for the poultry sector, to help the poultry sector to overcome the current crisis of shortage of feed, consequently resulting in retail price of chicken going beyond Rs. 260 per kg.

The KPFBA President, Dr. Sushanth Rai said the cost of production of chicken had doubled in less than a year mainly due to the feed costs soaring. The KPFBA pointed out that Soya which was Rs. 35 per kg last year had more than doubled to Rs. 80 per kg. Similarly, maize price had increased from Rs. 15 to Rs. 25 per kg, making it difficult for poultry farmers to source quality feed. The cost of production of chicken had increased from Rs. 70 per kg to over Rs. 120 per kg and this was affecting both the poultry farmers as well as the consumers.

The KPFBA President urged the government to take immediate remedial measures as to help the poultry farmers come out of a critical situation, further compounded by the pandemic.

Import soya and curb hoarding
Dr. Sushanth Rai urged the Government of India to allow duty free import of 12 lakh metric tons of soya bean meal as to immediately overcome the crisis. Also, the Government should take strict action against those traders who were hoarding soya bean meal, resulting in short supply and rise in price. He said the government should take immediate steps as many poultry farmers were exiting the business, unable to deal with the crisis. The government, he added, has to also look at it from a health perspective as chicken has been endorsed by the World Health Organisation to be an immunity booster.

For more details, contact:
Inayath Ulla Khan, Executive Secretary, KPFBA , M: 9886730997, ikhan@poultrykarnataka.net