The value of output from poultry sector is nearly 20000 crore and it provides direct or indirect employment to over 2 million people. About 25 per cent of the total egg production in the country comes from desi poultry, which is unorganised rural backyard system. A target for achieving production of over 52 billion eggs by 2011-12, at a growth rate of 4.3 per cent has been visualised by the Government of India.
Poultry sector, besides employment generation and subsidiary income increase, provides nutritional security especially to the rural poor. Further, landless labourers derive more than 50 per cent of their income from livestock especially poultry.
Central Poultry Development Organisations have been playing a pivotal role in the implementation of the policies of the Government with respect to poultry as a tool for alleviating nutritional hunger and palliating the impecuniosities of the resource-poor farmers especially the women. The mandate of the Central poultry Development Organisation has been specifically revised, by restructuring all poultry units of this Department to focus on improved indigenous birds, which lay on an average 180-200 eggs per annum and have a vastly improved FCR ratio in terms of feed consumption and weight gain. The Central Poultry Development Organisations have been entrusted with the responsibility of producing excellent germplasm in the form of day-old chicks and hatching eggs of these varieties like Nirbheek, Hitkari, Vanaraja, Shyama Cari, CHABRO, etc. Besides, these Organisations are imparting training to approximately 1200-1500 farmers every year both in-situ and ex-situ. These Organisations are also playing a crucial role in analysing feed samples.
These Organisations, besides the activities stated above, scaling-up of diversification of other avian species like Ducks/Turkeys/Guinea fowl/Japanese Quail, upgradation of Training Unit into International Tropical Avian Management Institute in which private-public partnership is envisaged. Presently these Organisations are also supporting and hand-holding the Centrally sponsored Scheme, ‘‘Assistance to State Poultry Farms’’.
The Random Sample Poultry Performance Testing Centre (RSPPTC), Gurgaon is entrusted with the responsibility of testing the performance of layer and broiler varieties. This Centre conducts one layer test for the period from 0-72 weeks of age wherein the production parameters of the laying birds received from different participants comprising of private and public sector agencies are tested. At the end of the test the data are analysed and the report indicating the relative performance of these entrants is published. Accordingly two broiler tests are conducted every year from 0-8 weeks of age and the results are published giving full information about growth rate, feed efficiency and margin of profit from each entrant. The report is published for the utilisation of the poultry industry in general, and the breeder participants in particular. This Centre gives valuable information relating to the different genetic stock available in the country.
A new Centrally sponsored scheme called Assistance to State Poultry Farms is being implemented during the Tenth Plan where one time assistance is provided to suitably strengthen the farms in terms of hatching, brooding and rearing of the birds with provision for feed mill and their quality monitoring and in-house disease diagnostic facilities. During the first three years of the Tenth Plan, Rs 29.75 crore has been released for assisting around 60 farms, some partially.
A new scheme "Dairy/Poultry Venture Capital Fund" has been launched during the year 2004-05, wherein there is a provision to grant subsidy on interest payment. Components like establishment of poultry breeding farm with low input technology birds and also for Ducks/Turkey/Guinea Fowl/Quail/ Emu/Ostrich, establishment of feed godown, feed mill, feed analytical laboratory, marketing of poultry products (specialised transport vehicles, cool room storage facilities and retention sheds for birds, etc.), Egg grading, packing and storage for export capacity, Retail poultry dressing unit (300 birds per day), Egg/broiler carts for sale of poultry products and Central grower unit are considered for financing under this scheme. The nodal agency for the implementation of this scheme is NABARD through nationalised commercial banks. In 2005-06, a total of 49 poultry units involving 2.17 crore was approved.
