The frequent changes in the price of chicken have often put the State in a tight spot as Kerala accounts for 11% of the national poultry meat consumption. Though the State government has made many interventions to strengthen the domestic broiler sector to insulate consumers and producers from fluctuating prices, the initiatives have not yet paid off.
According to the statistics available with the Animal Husbandry department, of the 5.04 lakh tonnes of poultry meat sold in the State a year, the contribution of government agencies is around 2% to 2.5% only. When Kerala Chicken was launched, the State was targeting a market share of 5% in the first year and 15-20% in the next two years enabling it to regulate the price of meat in the market.
However, three years since, the market is still controlled by private players. The Brahmagiri Development Society, KEPCO (Kerala State Poultry Development Corporation), Kudumbashree, and the Meat Products of India (MPI) are the main public sector agencies that produce day-old broiler chicks in the State.
