Chicken prices are on the rise across the State. Live broiler chicken costs ₹172 a kg whereas the price of dressed chicken is ₹270-290 a kg. Non-vegetarians are concerned as the price increase has come at a time when trawl ban is in place in the State making fish too unaffordable.
The sudden increase in prices has affected poultry farmers and traders too as people have reduced consumption due to the price hike.
Binny Emmatty, president, Poultry Farmers and Traders Samiti, said the current price hike was due to scarcity of chicken in the market, which may last only for another 10 to 12 days.
Farms closed
“Poultry farmers were selling chicken at a loss of up to ₹50 in the past 10-11 months. The production cost of 1 kg of chicken is ₹99.87. The cost of feed makes up to 70% of the production cost. One kg feed, which used to be available at ₹24, now costs ₹45. As the situation continued, many small-scale farmers closed down their farms. The hatcheries in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, from where majority of the chicks are brought to the State, stopped hatching eggs for almost 15 days. This has also led to the present scarcity of chicken in the market. Reduced production and subsequent supply-demand mismatch led to the increase in price. Now the hatcheries have restarted hatching and the distribution will be streamlined by next month,” he said.
Decrease in consumption coupled with increase in price affected the broiler poultry industry in the State where the weekly consumption was around 1 crore kg of chicken. Of this, 35% was from domestic production and the rest from nearby States such as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, said T.P. Sethumadhavan, former Director, Kerala Veterinary & Animal sciences University.
Poor support
“Extreme summer, increase in cost of production due to high price of poultry feed and medicines, and poor support to entrepreneurs compelled farmers to abandon production. Climate change has affected the production of raw materials needed for poultry feed, leading to an increase in the feed price,” he said.
Neighbouring States that have surplus availability of chicken are controlling the chicken prices in Kerala, which relies on them for chicks and poultry feed.
“Lack of planning, market forecast and inadequate support to poultry farming in the State precipitated the current issues. The State government that started Kerala Chicken with the participation of Kudumbashree miserably failed in this attempt. They could handle only less than 1.5% of the market share in the State. The poultry sector has not been recognised either as industry or agriculture in the State,” Dr. Sethumadhavan said. Recognising poultry as part of the agricultural sector has been a long-pending demand of poultry farmers.
Establish hatcheries
“The production cost can be reduced considerably if the government give production incentives or subsidies to all poultry farmers and entrepreneurs. It should also supply quality chicks and poultry feed at subsidised rates. It should establish more hatcheries, processing units and feed mills,” Mr. Emmatty said.
The poultry farmers are planning to form societies to avoid middle men who eat up a huge share of their profit. “Poultry sector has a lot of entrepreneurship opportunities in the State where women involvement is more than 60%. This sector can facilitate a lot of employment opportunities in the State,” Dr. Sethumadhavan said.
