Zoning of chicken-growing regions likely

INDIA - The Centre has in principle agreed to divide chicken-growing regions in the country into zones to ensure that sales of poultry products are not affected in case of outbreak of bird flu in far-flung areas.

An assurance to this effect was given by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar to a delegation of All India Breeders Association (AIBA) and Compound Livestock Feed Manufacturers Association, which met him in Delhi recently, AIBA president B Soundarajan told reporters here last night.

Pawar reassured the delegation of the safety and health of chickens in India, Soundarajan said adding the AIBA has sought state-wise zoning, so that doubts could be cleared from the minds of chicken consumers by ensuring that birds produced in a particular zone were totally infection-free.

The association has also sought income tax exemption for the growers for at least one year, considering the sudden drop in sales and adequate working capital to stabilise production, besides declaring the industry as part of agriculture, Soundararajan said.

He claimed that the Rs 9000-crore industry has reported huge losses for one week in view of reports of flu outbreak. However, demand for chicken has started picking up and prices have moved up from Rs 15 to Rs 25 across the country.

Source: Newkerala.com
calendar icon 6 March 2006
clock icon 1 minute read
© 2000 - 2024 - Global Ag Media. All Rights Reserved | No part of this site may be reproduced without permission.