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Kolkata-based Amrit Group has set a target to market around 3 million hybrid variety layer chicks in the country's traditionally strong layer markets of Namakkal in Tamil Nadu and Hyderabad this financial year.
In partnership with US-based developer of layer genetics, Hy-line, the group plans to gain a 20 per cent foothold in the commercial layer chicks market by the financial year 2017-18.
Under the tie-up, Amrit will receive parent Hy-line breed layers, which it would multiply into chicks and sell in the south market.
The company has already received 40,000 parent chicks from Hy-line under the initial arrangement.
Though the fresh business emanating from Hy-line breed marketing in the first year is Rs 10 crore, Amrit aims to capture the fast growing market for highly productive layer varieties in the following years, as farmers would have the option to reduce costs incurred on feed, which constitutes 70 per cent of the total expenses, with this variety.
Speaking to Business Standard, K Ravindran, chief operating officer of Amrit Group, said the variety offered poultry farmers a cost saving of Rs 1 lakh per day on feed for rearing at least 100,000 birds.
“The partnership allows us have the technical knowhow, and the opportunity to market the latest breed improvements made by Hy-line,”he said.
As against 110 gm of feed consumed by birds ready to lay eggs, the Hy-line breed's intake is 105 gm. Besides this, in cases of disease breakout, the mortality ratio is low.
The Hy-line breed layers also have a long life span of 90 weeks offering 400 eggs a year, compared with other available market varieties which offer 320-350 eggs and a life duration of 72 weeks.
Ravindran said it was receiving encouraging orders from farmers in the south. Amrit plans to introduce the Hy-line varieties in Tamil Nadu from July 22, and in Andhra Pradesh from August.
With a near full presence in the poultry sector value chain, it aims to consolidate its poultry feed business in the coming years.
It expects to clock a 30 per cent growth in turnover this year, up from Rs 3,000 crore last fiscal.
The company, however, on chances of drought-like situation in the country, expects feed margins to fall as it may not pass the entire input costs to farmers.
