Centre Assures Subsidised Maize For Poultry Sector
INDIA - A delegation of poultry producers and farmers from Tamil Nadu, which met the Union Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar, and officials of the ministry, on Thursday were assured that the Government would consider releasing five lakh tonnes of maize at subsidised rate.The assurance was made due to the recent distress caused by the avian flu scare, which severely affected the marketing of the poultry products, including eggs and live chicken.
The Government has, however, not indicated when the subsidised maize supplies would be made available to the poultry industry, according to Valsan, Secretary, Namakkal-based All-India Poultry Products Exporters Association.
Valsan said the members of the delegation, which consisted of the poultry trade, feed manufacturers and farmers rearing the poultry birds, were also assured by the officials from the Department of Animal Husbandry and the Agriculture Minister that the ministry was also considering the poultry industry's request for releasing the rice and wheat stocks held in the government's stocks that are not fit for human consumption for the use of the poultry feed.
Besides Pawar, the delegation also met the Secretary, Animal Husbandry Department, P.M.A. Hakim, joint secretaries in the department, Aravind Kaushal and Upma Chaudhary, and the Commissioner, Animal Husbandry Department, Dr S.K. Bandyopadhyaya.
Source: Sify