Ernakulam KVK to promote native poultry breeds, eggs

Ernakulam Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) is set to ensure availability of authentic desi poultry in urban homes of the city.

The KVK will collect one-day-old chicks from organic poultry farmers after ensuring the purity of the native breed of the poultry and will distribute these through its sales counter located at Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute.

In a first step of this initiative, KVK formed a group of desi poultry farmers in the district and a self-help group.

After collecting the chicks, KVK will rear them for two months, vaccinate them before distribution, said Shinoj Subramanian, Head of KVK. The Kendra would also ensure that farmers follow scientific systems in poultry farms as advised by KVK before buying the chicks from them, he said.

KVK’s initiative assumes significance in the wake of the shortage of native poultry for consumption in urban markets. KVK will start buying the chicks of original desi breeds from May and it is expected that the vaccinated poultry could be distributed by July, Shinoj said.

The farmers’ group under the KVK is also planning to solve the issue of shortage of feed for organic poultry. An attempt will be made to produce the feed under farmers’ group he added.

In another major initiative of KVK and the poultry farmers associated with, country chicken eggs would be made available in the market with a brand name. Currently, there is no systematic market for desi eggs. Even though there is a huge demand for the produce, lack of proper market network stands in the way of farmers to reach out to the targeted buyers, he said.

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