Sompal, who was inaugurating a day long scientist-industry meet on poultry on Wednesday in the capital, said that setting up of such a tribunal would also help the financing agencies to recover their dues promptly following a just and fair procedure. He also cautioned that unchecked imports of poultry stocks is fraught with the danger of spreading brid flu as it happen recently in Hong Kong. He, therefore, stressed on strengthening the quarantine checks to prevent possible entry of any poultry disease in the country.

The minister called upon the poultry scientists and industry to focuss their attention to the development of rural poultry and indigenous poultry breeds. He said that poultry production by the masses, for the masses should be effectively put to practice. The scientists, the industry and the governmentshould work hand in hand to turn this dream into reality.

Such a measure will help to alleviate rural poverty which has gone up in absolute terms since Independence. Rural income in absolute terms has also decreased by half and the gap between rural and urban income has gone up. This situation has caused the crime graph to go up in those rural areas where it was absolutely unknown.

He also emphasised on the need to expand poultry operations in UP, Bihar, MP, and northeastern region. The growth in poultry has so far been concentrated in Haryana, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

The deputy director-general (animal sciences) of ICAR, M L Madan, in his key note address said that a two way approach including focus on backyard poultry to raise the income of marginal farmers and on industrial poultry to be globally competitive, was the need of the hour. He said that low maize productivity was an important constraint before the poultry industry since maize formed a primary component of thepoultry feed.

President of the Poultry Federation of India, B M Chadha suggested insurance scheme for poultry farmers on the lines of the crop insurance scheme. He also said that a National Poultry Development Board should be created in the interest of the industry and the consumers.

The one-day scientist-industry meet on poultry was organised by the Central Avian Research Institute, Izatnagar, UP.

The poultry industry has grown in the country at the rate of 17 per cent which is the largest for any sector. The scientists of Central Avian Research Institute have played pivotal role through development of number of commercial breeds of layers and broilers. The important layers developed by the institute are ILI-80, CARI Gold-92 and that of broilers are B-77, CARI BRO-91 and coloured synthetic broiler. The institute has also standardised technologies for poultry products including chicken steaks, mixed chicken loaf, chicken sausages, chicken patties, fred chiccken liver, quail eggs, egg patties, chickengizzard pickle. Extensive research work is also being undertaken for improving quail and guinea fowl breeds.