The retail broiler prices after stagnating for last few months, is again on boil and have risen sharply during last few weeks. This has been attributed to intense heat conditions prevailing which results lower production of birds.
Poultry industry sources aid the wholesale live weight broiler prices in Delhi and surrounding areas have increased to Rs 78 ? 80 per kg from Rs 65- 68 per kg prevailing just a month back. This has resulted in increase in retail prices of dressed broiler to Rs 140 ? 150 a kg from Rs 120- 130 per kg.
During summer, farmers had to make additional investment such as water cooler and creation for more space for keeping the birds cool, which usually lead to rise in the inputs cost while smaller farmers prefer to close down their farms.
?Due to mismatch between demand and supply, the broiler prices usually rise in summer months,? Ricky Thapar, spokesperson for Poultry Federation of India (PFI) told FE.
Meanwhile, the stiff decline in exports of soyameal, a key component of poultry feed, in comparison to last year mainly because of reports about bumper soybean output in Brazil and the United States has helped in helped the keeping the feed prices down.
The soybean meal prices have declined to Rs.15, 300 per tonne on Wednesday compared to Rs.19, 000 per tonne prevailed in January 2010. Because of bumper corn (maize) crop in Bihar, prices have also come down to Rs. 9, 800 at present compared to Rs.11, 200 per tonne prevailed in January 2010.
?As both corn and soybean meal are the main ingredients of broiler feed so the feed cost has come down by almost 20% to Rs.16,400 per tonne at present which is helping the farmers,? Thapar said. He said that broilers prices would remain high for the next few months.
Meanwhile, Indore-based Soyabean Processors Association of India?s (SOPA) on Wednesday said country?s soyameal export has slumped by 40% to Rs 2,925.98 crore during October 2009-April 2010 compared to the corresponding period a year ago on lesser crushing and low arrivals in the market.
India is fifth ranked broiler producer in the world with an estimated production of 2.3 million tonne of broiler meat per annum. However there is a huge scope for the growth of poultry industry as the country?s per capita consumption is only 2.4 kilogram per person per annum and per capita consumption of broiler meat has grown at 10% in last 15 years.