April 30th 2024.
In Kendrapara, the only chick-producing farm within the veterinary hospital has been closed for the past 12 years. This has resulted in big companies taking over the poultry business in the district. These companies, who have control over everything except the farms, hold all the power in the poultry industry. Poultry meat is in high demand and is sold for a price range of Rs 220-350 per kg in many shops throughout the district. However, despite this, poultry farmers are not seeing any significant profits as they are heavily influenced by these big companies. The lack of administrative control has left the farmers with no choice but to rely on these companies for their livelihood. It is disheartening that despite the increase in demand for poultry meat in the state, the farmers in Kendrapara have not been able to reap any benefits.
The situation is worsened by the fact that an incubator and generator, which were initially purchased for a large sum of money, are now rendered useless and collecting dust due to the lack of efforts to revive the chick-producing center. This center was established with an investment of over Rs 1 crore. It is shocking that 97% of the poultry meat consumed in the district is produced by farmers who are under contract with these big companies. These farmers are the last remaining independent link in the supply chain, as the companies own every aspect of the product's journey from start to finish. This is a result of the state government's failure to regulate these big companies.
According to sources, the state government is providing loans to women self-help groups and young individuals to start their own poultry farms through the Mission Shakti scheme. This has encouraged many to venture into the poultry business. However, these farmers have fallen victim to the big companies who supply them with poultry feeds, chicks, and medicines. As a result, instead of making profits, these farmers are facing losses. The price of poultry meat has increased all over the state, but the situation remains unchanged for these farmers. This has greatly disappointed those who have started poultry farms as a means of earning a livelihood.
Poultry farmers such as Kalia Samantaray, Subhasis Jena, Ramakant Mallick, and Sheik Hassan have expressed their disappointment with the state government's lack of control over the market prices of poultry products. They allege that big traders from Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and a few local firms have monopolized the poultry trade in the state. These companies sign contracts with independent farmers and provide them with poultry feeds, chicks, and medicines. In return, the farmers are only paid Rs 3-5 per kg of poultry meat, regardless of the market price. The companies then collect the fully-grown chickens and sell them both within and outside the state. If the farmers are not willing to sign an agreement with these companies, they are charged exorbitant prices for their products. In this dire situation, the poultry farmers have requested the state government's intervention to help them out.
When we reached out to Chief District Veterinary Officer Deepti Mohapatra, she stated that the state government has launched various schemes that provide subsidies for the benefit of poultry farmers. She encourages farmers to enroll in these schemes to reap the benefits. However, due to the contracts signed by the farmers with these big companies, no legal action can be taken. She did mention that efforts are being made to revive the chick-producing center.
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