Government is committed for the growth of Poultry

Pashu Sandesh, 13 Feb 2020

The poultry sector in India is classified into the organized and unorganized sector. The commercial poultry sector is organized and 80% of market share is captured by the commercial sector. The organized commercial is already modernized and technically improvised.

However, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, is implementing Poultry Venture Capital Fund (PVCF) under “Entrepreneurship development and Employment generation” (EDEG) of National Livestock Mission. It is a bankable programme and the Central Government is providing subsidy through National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD) for those beneficiaries taking the loan for PVCF.

Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, is implementing different programmes under National Livestock Mission under which financial assistance is provided to States/ Union Territories Governments for implementation of Rural Backyard Poultry Development (RBPD) and Innovative Poultry Productivity Project (IPPP). These programmes envisage the components which take care of the shelter, feed, medicine, Equipment, Litter etc to improve the living conditions of the Poultry birds. Further, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying is implementing a scheme namely “Assistance to States for Control of Animal Diseases” (ASCAD) under “Livestock Health and Disease Control” (LH&DC) which covers the vaccination of economically important poultry diseases viz., Ranikhet Disease, Infectious Bursal Disease, Fowl Pox etc., including control and containment of emergent and exotic diseases like Avian Influenza. Department has developed an Action plan for Preparedness, Control and Containment of Avian Influenza which was formulated in 2005 and revised in 2006, 2012 and 2015.

Under the LH&DC scheme financial assistance is provided to the States for up-gradation of District Diagnostic Laboratories. In addition, there are six Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratories for prompt and effective diagnosis of different Livestock and Poultry Diseases. A National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has been specially designated as National Referral Laboratory for diagnosis of Avian Influenza which is also financially assisted by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying for diagnosis of Avian Influenza.

All these measures as stated by the Government in the recently concluded Budget session show the commitment of the Government toward the growth of the Poultry Sector in India. However, until and unless the Government gives it an equivalent status as the agricultural sector and the similar incentives, the Poultry sector will remain challenged and struggling.