Srinagar, Sept 10: An estimated 10 lakh broilers have been sold in the Valley during the three days in the run up to Eid-ul-Fitr. 

“The farmers and various poultry traders had stocked around 7 lakh birds while the remaining 3 lakh broilers entered the Valley during the preceding week,” claimed officials of Animal Husbandry Department here today.

Pertinently, the Animal Husbandry Department, its officials said, had invited the farmers to utilize its facilities including poultry sales depots, other space and even the departmental vehicles to market their produce.

The intervention by the department, according to the officials, benefited both the poultry farmers as well as the consumers.

However, the officials said the difference in rates of chicken, which was fixed on production cost basis, had initially created some confusion among the consumers.

“The consumers in Srinagar and Varmul questioned the difference in rates as while the broilers were sold in Varmul at Rs 80 to Rs 84 a Kg, heavy weights were available at just Rs 68/kg in Pulwama. In Srinagar the stuff was sold at Rs 72 a Kg,” the official said.

“However when explained that older the broiler, cheaper the cost, the consumers did relent and carry home the chicken satisfied,” they added.
“The best thing for the consumers was that they got the chicken at concession and the sharks in the trade too could not fleece them,” they said.

The officials said the department had set up a chain of retail outlets including at office complexes like Secretariat, Divisional Commissionerate,   Deputy Commissionerates, Poultry Farms and sales depots across the valley.

“The department also arranged mobile sales in cities towns and even villages that made the department to make its presence felt across the valley,” they said.
According to departmental sources poultry farmers sold over 87000 broilers from the departmental outlets and mobile sales depots.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 11 Sep 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 11 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 12 Sep 2010 00:00:00 IST