The Rs-40,000-crore poultry industry has asked to bring soya meal and maize under the Essential Commodities Act. This is mainly in order to keep a check on the prices of these commodities to an affordable level for the poultry farmers.
The National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) - the apex body of country's poultry farmers - said that the soya meal and maize are the most crucial ingredients of poultry feed. But hoarding and speculation, it added, by the traders has led to abrupt rise in the prices of these commodities.
According the committee, the soya meal prices are ruling at Rs 21,000 - 23,000 a tonne, which a couple of months ago had softened to Rs 10,000 - 12,000 a tonne. Similarly, the apex body added, price of maize raised to Rs 1,000 a quintal from Rs 600-650 a quintal a year ago. "This unprecedented and unjustifiable increase has happened due to forward trading in maize, speculation and hoarding by traders and multi-national companies and exports," said NECC in a statement.
Anuradha Desai, chairperson of NECC, had told Business Standard recently, "The break-even level for egg production has gone up from Rs 0.90 - 1.00 to Rs 2.25 an egg whereas that of broilers has increased to Rs 47-48 per kg from Rs 27-28."
Many of the poultry farm owners are running short of working capital due to the losses incurred by them in the last two years. This has resulted in the closure of around 15 per cent of the industry - consisting mainly of small and marginal farmers.