Comments
Poultry players in Karnataka are concerned over the availability of maize and alleged that some traders and farmers are hoarding the coarse cereal, as a result of which prices have skyrocketed impacting the sector. This surge in input cost has lead to higher cost of production leading to a de-growth in chicken consumption, said the Karnataka Poultry Farmers and Breeders Association (KPFBA) in a statement.
Concerned over this adverse trend, the apex trade body is submitting a memorandum to both the Central and the State Governments, urging for severe action against maize hoarders.
Soaring input costs
The President of KPFBA, Sushanth Rai B, and General Secretary, Anjan Goswami, said availability of maize had become a serious concern for the sector. The shortfall in maize production estimated at around 15-20 per cent coupled with the exports of the cereal is hurting the domestic requirement. Compounding these two issues are the hoarders who ‘unscrupulously’ are trying to make huge profits at the expense of the poultry and other sectors, they said.
The KPFBA said production costs are going up as the price of raw materials such as maize and soyabean have been going up for some months now. While the minimum support price of maize is ₹18.70 per kg, it has always ruled above that this year. In October 2021, the price of maize was ₹19 per kg and in a matter of six months, it has shot up by 35 per cent to ₹26, they said.
Subdued consumption
With the cost of production going up, the poultry sector has no other choice but to increase the retail price. With increasing price of chicken at the retail level, the KPFBA states there has been a significant drop in the consumption of chicken as people in both urban and rural areas have either reduced consumption or taken to alternate protein sources, they said.
The KPFBA has been trying its best to keep retail prices under check, but with cost of production going up, the association is seeking immediate government intervention.
Comments
COMMENT NOW
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.