Duck-rearing comes alive again

After bird flu carnage, hatcheries in Kuttanad are chuckling

Update: 2015-09-07 06:34 GMT
Ducks and ducklings at one of the nurseries.

ALAPPUZHA: The duck nurseries in Kuttanad  have come alive once again after the devastating bird flu in November last year when  nearly one lakh ducks were wiped out. 

The farmers who had suffered huge losses are hopeful of a recovery during the peak season of Christmas and New Year which are three months away.

Kuttanad  is known for its special duck rearing varieties of Chara and Chemballi.   K. O. Jose from Chennithala, a nursery owner, says  each nursery breeds some 20,000 ducklings  during  September –November.  “The movement of  ducklings has gained momentum  now,”  he says.

In the wake of the bird flu outbreak last year, the Department of Animal Husbandry had declared duck rearing as an agricultural activity making duck farmers eligible for bank loans at a subsidised rate of four per cent.

The department had also claimed that the farmers  would get insurance cover, subsidised power and   economic benefits currently given to small and marginal farmers.

Samuel Pallippad, another nursery owner, says, “we have bred 10,000 ducklings for a local farmer.  We will breed  25,000 ducks this season,”  he says.

Thankachan Kaitharam, a farmer from Nedumudy, said  duck business had  started picking up.  There has been no rise in the prices of duck meat so far and it’s being sold at  Rs 260 per kg.

K.T. Kuttapan from Alappuzha, who had lost all his  25, 640 ducks last year, is hoping for better times now.  He had  received Rs  3 lakh as compensation and is now  rearing 15,000 ducklings.

According to the AHD data, about 650 registered large-scale duck farmers are currently in Kuttanand  and over 1,000 farmers in the unorganized sector.

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