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The recent floods in Jammu and Kashmir have affected poultry production in the state, impacting poultry farmers heavily. The impact might be to the tune of Rs 500 crore, according to poultry consultants.
The Kashmir Valley supplies 60-70 per cent of the total poultry production in the state. The total egg production in the Valley was around 150 million a year, while the broiler requirement is around 50 million birds a year. Out of the total broiler requirement, 35 million birds are reared locally, while 15 million birds are imported from Punjab and Haryana.
The poultry industry in Kashmir Valley districts such as Baramalla, Badgam, Pulwama, Anantnag and Kupwara were the worst-hit in the recent floods.
"The Kashmir poultry industry, including backyard as well as commercial farming, has been affected by floods. The production is likely to be hit by 40 per cent. Roughly, the total loss in the valley would be around Rs 500 crore," Syed Altaf Gilani from The Poultry Consultancy (TPC) told Business Standard.
TPC is responsible for providing technical services covering all aspects of poultry in the valley and is based at Srinagar.
Gilani said the floods had wiped out birds as a result of which broiler as well as egg production had been affected. This was evident from the fact that despite the Navaratri season, egg price in the state was hovering around Rs 3.50 a unit in the wholesale market while it was Rs 3.15 a unit a fortnight ago. Currently, the state is importing eggs from Punjab and Haryana. Poultry owners in Punjab and Haryana had given the consignment to dealers based in Jammu. Broiler demand is likely to pick up in the next week, when certain areas in the Valley resume connectivity.
"Farmers in the state are dependent on other states for chicks, but since many of the areas still don't have connectivity, their farms are empty, which will lead to shortage of supply in coming months, especially during Eid-ul-Azha. Hence the state would have to depend on other states such as Punjab and Haryana for eggs and broiler," he said. This would be an opportunity for farmers in these two states to gain a maximum share and anticipations are that prices would jump significantly.
