Flu in east Asia boosts poultry exports

The Indian poultry industry is cashing in on the opportunity as a result of the outbreak of Avian influenza (bird's flu) currently affecting South East Asia by upping its exports to major chicken consuming regions like West Asia and Japan.

Subbarao AR, vice president, Godrej Agrovet, and chairman of CLFA, the livestock industry association, said: "The Indian poultry industry sees this as an opportunity to increase exports in West Asian countries, as imports are banned from the affected regions. The industry is already inundated with enquiry's from many west Asian countries for their requirement of chicken and table eggs."

The West Asia market is estimated to be at 3.6 million metric tonnes, of which the local production is at 2.4 million metric tonnes and it imports 1.3 million metric tonnes. Of the west Asian market, Saudi Arabia is estimated to be 4 lakh metric tonne and UAE around 1.50 lakh metric tonnes.

In the Indian poultry market ""live stock consists of 90 per cent of the segment, with the balance 10 per cent with the organised players. The organised domestic market is estimated to be 1.5 million metric tonne and is growing at 10 per cent compounded annual growth rate.

Total exports from India is estimated to be about 3.5 million metric tonnes to western countries. The leading players are Godrej Agrovet, Venky's, Nency Poultry, C&M Poultry, Zorabian Poultry and Hybro Poultry.

Currently, exports that account for a small fraction of the total domestic production are set for a sharp jump considering the reduced supply in the international market on account of the bird flu epidemic.

Rao explained that the high demand in the domestic market for poultry products has meant that exports were restricted to nominal levels.

This will change with a higher incidence of exports of poultry products to fill in the void created by the South East Asian countries.

The bird flu has spread in countries ""Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea, China, Cambodia, Japan, Indonesia, Laos, Philippines and Pakistan. Moreover, the virus that spreads only through air and can travel a distance of two to three kilometers only.

India shares its border with Pakistan but is currently free from this virus, as it is poultry self sufficient and does not import live birds, live vaccines or dressed meat.

However, it is taking safety measures to prevent an outbreak of the disease like the industry is sprucing up of their already existing bio-security measures in farms, hatcheries, feed mills, transport mode etc.