Punjab govt hatches turkey plan to boost small farmers` incomes

INDIA - As backyard farming to empower small and marginal farmers, the Punjab government is looking at hatching the turkey bird to boost the rural economy of the state.

“The government is planning to start hatching the turkey bird in the state within the next two months,” the state’s Animal Husbandry Director Baljit Singh Sidhu said.

Turkey breeding is potentially more viable than conventional poultry farming, he said.

At present, the state government is getting birds from the Central Avian Research Institute (Cari) at Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, Poultry Development Deputy Director Amarjit Singh said. One turkey can generate an income of Rs 280 within 20-24 weeks, he said.

Moreover, the risk of disease among these birds was also less compared with that in poultry farming, and expenditure on medicines and vaccination per bird was also negligible, he said.

Since it had lower cholesterol and fat level, and higher protein content than any other white meat, turkey meat would have great demand in the market, experts pointed out.

According to state's Poultry Development Deputy Director Amarjit Singh, the government had received a good response as farmers in the state had sold dressed turkey meat for Rs 180 per kg.

“One bird of 7-8 kg gives about 5.5 kg meat after dressing,” he claimed. “We plan to start breeding turkies here as it will be more economical for us as well as farmers,” said Sidhu. Singh claimed the demand for turkey now stood at around 5,000 birds on an average annually by the farmers in the state.

Source: Business Standard