Odisha aims for one crore egg production daily

To achieve self sufficiency in egg and meat production, the Odisha cabinet on Wednesday approved a poultry policy which aims to ensure daily production of one crore eggs and one lakh metric tonne of poultry meat annually by 2020.

Chief Secretary G.C. Pati said the government was trying to achieve self sufficiency in meat and egg production that would generate employment and help to supplement nutrition levels in the state.

"State plans to add 60 lakh bird capacity in the commercial layer farming through establishment of new units and 10 lakh birds through expansion of existing units in the next four years," said Fisheries and Animal Resources Development secretary Bishnupada Sethi.

He said while the egg requirement of the state is 65 lakh, it is producing 34 lakh eggs presently.

"Entrepreneurs will be encouraged for establishment of the broiler units through capital incentive subsidy available under Poultry Venture Capital Fund through Nabard and state agriculture policy-2013," said Sethi.

Exemption of stamp duty on purchase of land for poultry farming would be facilitated for the farmers, he said.

Keeping in view the need for socio-economic development of farmers owning dairy animals, the cabinet also approved a Bovine Breeding Policy to make dairy farming an economic and viable activity.

The policy aims to address the needs of both resource poor and resource rich dairy farmers.

The productivity of the dairy cows and buffaloes would be enhanced and the overall milk production in the state would be augmented.

--Indo-Asian New Service

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