Rein in maize prices: Poultry firms urge

Sector conributes Rs 35,000 crore to Indian economy.

Taking advantage of forward trading, multi-national and private companies have cornered huge quantities of maize and are withholding the grain from the market, leading to price rise and a crisis for the poultry industry, the National Egg Coordination Committee (NEC) said.

At the annual general meeting of the apex industry body held here yesterday and attended by 80 members from all over the country, several resolutions were passed requesting the government to save the poultry sector from the present crisis.

The poultry industry is currently facing a severe crisis due to unprecedented increase in the price of maize, the most crucial ingredient of poultry feed accounting for more than 80 per cent of the cost of production of eggs and broilers, the committee said in a release here today.

At the present level of production, poultry sector contributes approximately Rs 35,000 crore to the economy and provides direct and indirect employment to more than 3.2 million persons, it said.

Normally at this time of the year, maize prices range between Rs 500 to Rs 550 per quintal.

However, this year, the price has gone up to Rs 900 per quintal and in some parts of North India, it is as high as Rs 1,000 per quintal, it said.

The government is apparently following the example of developed countries, where forward trading is a norm. However, there is a vast difference between agricultural farming of the developed countries and that of India, the NECC said.

"We are afraid the prices of eggs and chicken will further rise," it said and asked the government to take steps to ensure that maize is available in adequate quantity and at affordable price to the poultry farmers.