The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the implementation of Centrally Sponsored Scheme, 'Poultry Development' from third year of XI Five Year Plan, i.e. 2009-2010, at a total outlay of 1.5 billion rupees (INR). The centrally sponsored Scheme combines one component of existing scheme and has two new components, namely:

1. Assistance to State Poultry Farms (continuing component)
2. Rural Backyard Poultry Development (new component)
3. Poultry Estates (new component)

The Scheme through its 'Assistance to State Poultry Farms' component aims at strengthening existing state poultry farms so as to enable them to provide inputs, mainly in terms of providing improved stocks suitable for rural backyard rearing.

The 'Rural Backyard Poultry Development' component is expected to cover beneficiaries from Below Poverty Line to mainly enable them to gain supplementary income and nutritional support.

This component is expected to assist around 385,000 beneficiary families by providing higher potential birds through 1285 mother units which will rear the day old chicks up to 4-6 weeks. The beneficiaries are proposed to be from below poverty line families.

Entrepreneurship skills are to be improved through exploratory pilot component of 'Poultry Estates' wherein two estates are proposed for establishment at this stage. It is meant primarily for educated, unemployed youth and small farmers with some margin money, for making a profitable venture out of various poultry related activities in a scientific and bio-secure cluster approach.

Background

Poultry in India is one of the rapidly growing sectors and the systems of poultry farming vary widely from backyard poultry keeping which addresses livelihood issues to highly intensive farming involving commercial enterprises and exports. The commercial sector has become self sufficient and integration of various poultry activities from feed compounding to product processing is slowly consolidating. However, the backyard poultry sector and small/marginal farmers who are interested cannot take up the activities due to lack of any incentives. Keeping this in mind, the government of India initiated the Centrally sponsored Scheme of 'assistance to State Poultry Farms' during the Ninth Plan to strengthen the infrastructure of existing State Poultry Farms so as to enable multiplication and distribution of low input technology birds suitable for village conditions. So far more than 210 farms have been assisted under the scheme. It is now felt necessary to give some fillip to the rural backyard farmers to take up poultry keeping. It is also felt necessary that the small and marginal farmers should develop their entrepreneurship skills in a clustered scientific and bio-secure manner.

Implementation strategy and targets

As far ass the continuing 'Assistance to State Poultry Farm' component is concerned, it is decided to meet out the committed expenditure and take up new projects only where previously not addressed. The Scheme component is expected to be wrapped up during the XI Five Year Plan period.

In respect of 'Poultry Estates' component, it is proposed to encourage taking up poultry farming in a clustered way scientifically on pilot basis and presently only two such estates will be set up.

Major impact

The Scheme is expected not only to help the rural farmers to gain supplementary income from the poultry activities but also provide nutrition to the family. Poultry Estates will provide benefit to beneficiaries and entrepreneurs, by facilitating backward and forward linkages through a cluster approach and also ensure wholesome and hygienic production through quality assurance.

Expenditure involved

The total project cost is INR 1.5 billion for three years of XI Five Year Plan. The 'Assistance to State Poultry Farm' component will be on 80:20 Centre to State share basis other than North Eastern States where is will be 100 per cent central share. For the 'Poultry Estates' component, the share is 75:25 between Centre and State Government.

Number of beneficiaries

Under the Rural Backyard Poultry Development component which is a directly beneficiary oriented component, it is expected to assist around 385,000 beneficiary families below the poverty line.

States and districts covered

The Scheme is to be implemented throughout the country. In case of Poultry Estates, it will be preferred to be established in less poultry intensive areas (non-tradition areas for poultry) or States where commercialisation or intensification of production has not yet taken place but the area has some support.