The Hindu Business Line : `Centre to allocate 8 lt maize for poultry sector'

Feed supplies
The maize would be supplied at Rs 450-500 per quintal.
In addition, 60,000 t of jowar and 7,000 t of bajra would also be released at concessional rates.

Coimbatore , July 2

The Union Government has offered to allocate eight lakh tonnes of maize at concessional rate for the poultry farmers to meet their feed requirement.

This maize would be supplied to the poultry farmers at Rs 450-500 per quintal as against the prevailing open market rate of Rs 650-670, according to Ms Anuradha Desai, Chairperson of the National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC).

More sops

In addition to the maize, the Union Food Ministry has also offered to release 60,000 tonnes of jowar and 7,000 tonnes of bajra at a concessional rate for use as poultry feed.

These offers from the Government were made during a meeting the members of the NECC led by Ms Desai had with the Union Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, on June 27, when the former had appealed for early relief to the poultry industry affected by the avian flu fear psychosis early this year, according to a communication from the NECC.

The demand for supply of the maize and other grains at concessional rates was made in view of the soaring price of corns in the open market, the communication said adding that the corn price, which used to be in Rs 520-600 band at this point of time, had surged to Rs 670 a quintal leading to escalation in the production cost for both the layer and broiler producers across the country.