GUWAHATI, Aug 18 - The broiler production in Assam had faced a loss of more than 65 per cent in the first month of the lockdown, revealed an assessment carried out by the state government recently. The assessment also found that the lockdown will cause a loss of around Rs 100 crore to the State�s broiler sector.
In the initial lockdown period, as many as 72 lakhs day-old-chickens and hatching eggs were destroyed and as many as 70 lakhs broilers of different age groups died from starvation or killed by the farm owners due to the lockdown of markets and scarcity of feeds.
Similarly, in case of the goatery sector, the producers had faced immense problems due to the lockdown as they could not sell their products. Notably, most of the butcher shops all over the State also remained closed during that period.
Meanwhile, apart from the outbreak of African Swine Fever, the piggery sector also suffered from a lack of space to maintain additional piglets in the breeding farms during the initial days of lockdown. Moreover, many breeding farms faced a shortage of capital too.
To revive the poultry sector in the State, the study emphasized the production of food-feed crops like maize in the State so that farmers could get the necessary feeds at reasonable rates in local markets. It also advocated on government intervention regarding bank loan for re-stocking the farms, hatcheries, etc. and support for interests subvention for the farmers and entrepreneurs against bank loans.
It also suggested for giving a concession on electricity bills for the sector and to attract new entrepreneurs through subsidy linked capital investment.
For the multiple growth of the piggery sector, the study suggested government support to transform the production system from backyard to organise scientific units and cluster approach. It also said about the implementation of traceability and transparency in breeding and fattening to eliminate inbreeding depression along with the popularisation of artificial intelligence for breed up-gradation.
For the piggery sector, the study further suggested support from the authority concerned to felicitate the entrepreneurs with cash credit through banks along with the establishment of common facility centre in the production cluster and introduction of the community service providers.
To revive the goatery sector, the study put stress on the need to reduce the middlemen system to increase the benefit of farmers. For sustainable growth of the sector, it suggested about selective breeding of local goats and to establish a sustainable value chain approach among production, aggregation, processing and marketing.
In case of the animal feed sector, the study suggested to facilitate linkage for the agricultural byproducts with feed plants and maize cultivation with feed manufacturers along with support to import soya meals, mineral mixture and other ingredients from outside the State.
It also said about the need for support to enhance the production capacity of existing feed plants in the State and suggested to establish a mega feed plant.
