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Veterinary feed supply badly hit by lockdown

By AJIT PATOWARY

GUWAHATI, March 30 - All is reportedly not well in the state�s veterinary sector following the lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak. Those engaged in the livestock business in remote areas of the state are facing a lot of hardship, as the animal feed supply chain has been badly affected.

According to information, though the state government has permitted movement of concentrated feed produced in firms located outside the state, the law enforcement agencies are not aware of the fact that animal feed supply is also an emergency service. This has stood in the way of continued supply of animal feed to private livestock farms located in remote areas.

Moreover, official sources said that though the Veterinary Department is required to provide emergency services in times of need, its services are yet to be declared essential like medical services. This was why, when a crisis arises, the stakeholders, along with service providers in this sector, face all sorts of problems.

Every month, the state needs 28,000 Metric Tonnes (MTs) of feed for its 80 lakh of broiler chicken replacements, 1,155 MTs of feed for 3.5 lakh of commercial layers, 35,690 MTs of feed for 3.95 lakh of exotic and crossbred cattle and 31,500 MTs of feed for 7 lakh commercially reared pigs. Thus, the total animal feed required by the state in a month stands at 96,345 MTs.

The Assam Livestock and Poultry Corporation (ALPCO) feed plant at Sonapur has a 3-4 MT Per Hour (MTPH) capacity palate feed unit and a 1.5 MTPH capacity mesh feed unit. It is under operation with full capacity and is supplying to the Veterinary Department�s farms and private entrepreneurs. Its monthly average production is about 1,200 MTs.

In all, there are 16 feed plants operating in the state with a total production capacity of 120 Tonnes Per Hour (TPH), and they are producing 45,000 MTs of animal feed per month. The rest of the state�s feed requirement is imported from other states.

Godrej Agrovet is the major animal feed producer in the country. It holds the highest share in the country�s animal feed production. The other major brands include Maha Feeds, Unnat, Anmol, Sona Gold, Shiv Shakti Amrit, Kamdhenu, and Japfa, among others.

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