Poultry industry seeks subsidy on maize, rice to minimise input cost

Andhra Pradesh State Poultry Federation (APSPF) president K.V. Mukunda Reddy on Monday, 7th March appealed to the State government to offer subsidies on maize, rice, and broken rice to manage the crisis in the poultry industry. Addressing reporters at the press conference, Mr. Mukunda Reddy claimed that the poultry industry has been witnessing a severe loss due to a steep rise in input cost and the plummeting of egg prices in the market.
“The feed production cost can be minimized if the State government offers subsidies on maize, rice, and broken rice. However, subsidy on electricity similar to what is offered to the agriculture sector can come to the rescue of the poultry industry,” said Mr. Mukunda Reddy.
Ethanol factories are the main competitors to the poultry feed production units as both the sectors compete to procure maize, rice, and broken rice. He stated that the poultry units had to sell eggs at ₹2.50 per piece during the COVID-19 lockdown as against the actual price of ₹4.60 Now, the egg fetches ₹3.45, a loss of ₹1.15, in places where the eggs are being exported from the State.
APSPF authorities are urging the State government to implement the Reserve Bank of India’s guidelines that offer a 3% waiver on the interest on bank loans given to the poultry units. The State government needs to revive the RBI guidelines to claim the interest waiver on the bank loans for the poultry units, they said. APSPF State secretary P. Subba Reddy and Anaparthy Poultry Association secretary M. Ramakrishna Reddy were present.
Source: The Hindu