CII Calls For GM Maize Imports and Feed Production Boost To Help India's Poultry Industry Grow

New Delhi, Nov 13 (KNN) India's USD 30 billion poultry industry requires policy support, including the allowance of genetically modified (GM) maize imports and initiatives to enhance the production of crucial feeds, CII said.

Confederation of Indian Industry in its Vision Document 2047 for Indian poultry sector, said, “the current growth level of maize and soybean production in the country will be insufficient to meet the demand of poultry industry.”

This is mainly due to the increasing diversion of maize towards industrial use and ethanol production.

The sector, which is already growing at a healthy rate of 8 per cent annually could see further acceleration.

Pitching for the government to allow imports of GM maize and soybean because of ‘unprecedented increase’ in prices, CII said that interest of the domestic producers should be protected too.

“High poultry feed prices, which constitute 65-70 per cent of meat production, push up production costs and the prices could be stabilized through allowing imports of GM maize,” Ricky Thapar, treasurer, poultry federation of India, told FE

In August, 2021, the government had relaxed import rules to allow the first shipment of 1.2 MT of GM soymeal to support the domestic poultry industry after a record spike in feed prices.

The report stated that poultry production is largely concentrated in southern and western India, CII has recommended scale up operations in states like Bihar, which has abundant production of maize, a key feed ingredient.

The poultry sector in India was valued at more than USD 28 billion in 2021-22.

The CII report also stated that the growth in the poultry sector in the country has been attributed to the commercial poultry industry which accounts for 85 per cent of production while the rest of 15 per cent of the output comes from the traditional backyard poultry.

To enhance disease control amongst the poultry birds, the CII report has stressed on strengthening integrated disease surveillance and early warning systems for reports on bird flu incidents.

Major poultry meat producing states include Maharashtra, West Bengal, Haryanaa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana of the total production. Top seven states produce 80 per cent of poultry meat output.

(KNN Bureau)