Srinagar, Nov 16: In the run up to Eid, the Valley imported around six lakh poultry birds in last sixteen days. However, bulk of the local production evaded the market as poultry farmers accused the government of fixing the rates that did not even “cover our production cost.”
 According to official sources, the Valley imported 5,54,364 poultry birds, consisting 3,37,603 broilers, 1,84,180 layers and 32,521 parents from November 1 to 15. “On 16 November, about 60,000 birds were imported,” they said.
 Sources said the imports around this Eid were quite low in comparison to the corresponding period ahead of Eid a year ago.
 “Last year for this period Valley had imported about 10 lakh poultry birds; plus, there was a huge local production in the markets. But this year the local poultry farmers did not send their production to the markets as the rates fixed by the government were too low to even cover their production cost,” sources said.
 Sources said only one poultry farmer in Srinagar had come to sell his production through Poultry Market Division of Animal Husbandry Department. “It is the CAPD which is responsible for creating scarcity of poultry in the market because it unilaterally fixed low rates,” sources said.
 Poultry farmers said while in Jammu wholesale rate for poultry has been fixed at Rs 94/kg. “Here, we were asked to sell the poultry at just Rs 80/kg, when our production cost is more than Rs 78/kg, besides at least five per cent mortality.”
 Director CAPD could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 17 Nov 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:00:00 IST