The Hindu Business Line : Spat in poultry sector over import of breed-line

The easing of restrictions by DAHD on import of chicks and hatching eggs/vaccines has been extended for another six months through a new notification.

Coimbatore , Feb. 21

THE Rs 13,000-crore poultry market is in ripples once again. But unlike the ripples caused last year by the avian flu, this time they have been triggered by the flexing of muscles by domestic breeders of chicks and breeders dependent on import of grand parent (GB) chicks over partial lifting of restrictions on livestock importations.

The two sides determined on protecting their market expansion drive are stepping out to battle it out in the court on the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying's (DAHD) latest notification that has sought to extend the partial lifting of import restrictions on poultry/poultry products including the live-birds imposed last year in the wake of avian flu incident.

Highly reliable poultry industry sources said DAHD, which in the wake of the avian flu incidents in January 2004, first brought about restriction on import of livestock/livestock products including poultry through a notification. But that notification had initially limited the import ban relating to day-old chicks/hatching eggs/vaccines only to the countries affected by the bird flu.

But the Department modified the order and introduced a blanket ban on imports of livestocks/livestock products from all countries including the chicks and hatching eggs in February 2004.

However, with the apprehension on the bird disease subsiding , DAHD in August last allowed the import of chicks and hatching eggs/vaccines from countries not affected by the bird flu, even while it chose to continue the ban on countries from where the outbreaks of diseases were reported.

The easing of restrictions by the Department, initially for six months from August 2004, has been extended for another six months through a new notification But the latest notification, according to sources, has stirred up the poultry industry, especially the high growth oriented broiler sector.

The indigenous breeders of chicks objecting to the import relaxation have sought to stay it by moving the court. The sources told Business Line that at least three public interest writ petitions have been filed before the High Courts in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Chennai on behalf of local broiler farmers associations against the import of chicks being allowed. These bodies are seeking restoration of the total ban on chick imports.

But the companies especially the major integrated broiler producing companies/hatcheries which import the GB stocks have also sought to implead themselves in the case to counter the import objection. They claim that the clamour against imports was due to market apprehensions rather than any worry on health security or hygienic considerations because all imports go through the mandatory checks such as pre-quarantine and quarantine measures including strict inspection by the technical committee of the department of animal husbandry and blood sample testing after the mandatory 21-day quarantine period. These sources maintain that cost of import of GB stock remained negligible and works out hardly 0.2 per cent of their total turnover.

The sources associated with the poultry sector free of both the camps say that the high annual compounded growth rate of 15 per cent posted by the integrated broiler production apart, the rising share of the import sourced GB stocks by the broiler integrators in the total live chicken market is turning out a matter of concern for the domestic breeders, though the latter still account for 70 per cent of the market share.

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