Poultry industry makes rapid progress

The poultry industry in Gujarat is making rapid progress. Over 80 per cent of the poultry production is in the central Gujarat regions such as Kheda, Panchmahals and Vadodara and the south Gujarat regions of Surat, Bharuch Valsad and Dangs.

The per capita availability of eggs in Gujarat is very low at 14 eggs per annum compared with the national average of 36 eggs per annum. It is 137 per annum in Punjab and 136 per annum in Pondicherry.

The per-capita consumption of egg is 36 and the per-capita consumption of poultry meat is 850 grams. The consumption recommended by the Nutritional Advisory Committee is 180 eggs and 10.8 kgs of poultry meat per person per annum.

The sector, which employs more than 100 million people, is growing at the rate of 15 to 20 per cent. The growth of poultry is concentrated mainly in the areas near the urban centres such as Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Mumbai.

"There is tremendous potential for poultry development in the state due to the increasing urbanisation and improving economic status of the rural people," said Ravindra Dholakia, professor of Economics at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A).

India is the fourth largest producer of eggs in the world. The output of eggs is increasing at around five per cent per annum.

"Moreover, there is a great scope for exporting some of the poultry products like egg powder and table eggs to the Gulf countries where there is a high demand for poultry products. But we need to match the international quality standards," said Dholakia.

The IIM-A has recommended various measures to the state government to implement a policy, which includes special schemes to popularise poultry farming by providing appropriate technology, training and market information to farmers.

"As the poultry industry is among the fastest growing in the world, there is a need for greater integration, better cost effectiveness and improvement in the distribution system. Contract farming could bridge the gap between producers and consumers. Appropriate technology and other inputs and services can improve the sector drastically," Dholakia said.