Government\'s intervention sought in broiler chicken prices

Khammam: Small poultry farmers growing broiler chicken in Khammam district want state government to intervene into the market and save them from bigger players in the industry. They are accusing market players of manipulating prices due to which those growing below 15,000 birds are suffering losses.

Battu Nagaraju, a poultry owner raising 10,000 birds at Gudurpadu in Khammam Rural mandal said, “Price of broiler chicken is high when big players bring their product in the market. But it is lower when we take our chicken to the market,” he complained.

Farmers say they incur an expenditure of ₹ 150 to raise a broiler chicken for 45 days. Its weight will be 2.5 kg at that time. Poultry farmer will get some profit only if the price of chicken is ₹ 70 per kg. But sometimes traders buy broiler chicken from them only for ₹ 50 per kg because of which they suffer losses.

Nagaraju demanded that price of broiler chicken be regulated by government to save small poultry farmers.

Lack of uniformity in prices in the state is also causing losses, farmers say. In Medak, chicken will be available at ₹ 150 per kilo. But it will be ₹ 200 in Warangal. Such a situation creates confusion in the market. Farmers want chicken prices to be same in entire Telangana

Parupalli Nageswara Rao, running a poultry unit at V. Venkatayapalem in Raghunadhapalem mandal, said, “The government should intervene in the ‘mayajalam’ by market forces and do justice to small poultry farmers.” As there is no government regulation on chicken prices, big poultry industrialists are making profits at cost of small farmers, he stated.

Problem also arises after a bird’s age crosses 45 days. Feeding a bird after this limit is expensive for farmers. So, they try to sell the bird immediately, even if it is at lower prices. Poultry farmers thus want government to intervene and protect small farmers from the crisis.