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What Does The Future Hold For The Poultry Sector? Rajesh Babu, Owner of Krishna Farms and Dr. Ramdas Kambale, Director - Sales APAC and Board Member, Vetphage Pharmaceuticals.
Rajesh Babu, Owner of Krishna Farms
India is gradually experiencing an increase in urbanization and increasingly disposable incomes. Reflecting the drift to an increasingly urban lifestyle, the 10 major cities in the country account for over 60 percent of all poultry meat consumption. There has also been a gradual shift in eating habits, with the well-informed younger generation increasingly adopting non-vegetarian diets. Demographic changes happen to favor both broiler and egg industries as proteins derived from poultry are more affordable and are not associated with any religious taboos. Although consumption levels are rising, per capita consumption of meat is still 4.4 kg per annum against the ICMR recommended 10.5 kg per annum.
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The per capita consumption of eggs is 68 eggs per annum against the ICMR recommended 180 eggs per annum. Food processing is expected to become one of India’s major industries in the coming years. The production chain is rapidly evolving with increased production and processing, better storage facilities, and evolving preferences. At present, only 10 percent of the agricultural produce is processed, resulting in a lot of wastage. The government plans to triple the sector’s capacity and has also committed investments of 6000 crore rupees in mega food parks across the country. The production is becoming more integrated in the broiler sector. Meanwhile, 85 percent of all egg production is accounted for by commercial farms. The increasing demand for poultry meat and the improved organization has made India the third largest producer of eggs and the fifth largest producer of broilers. The benefits of processed meat A mature processed meat market will be beneficial to producers and customers alike. Processing technology will increase the shelf life of all meat products, which will make it easier for farmers to absorb any shocks due to the improved control over the inventory. Also, the fact that the product can be stored will shield them from unexpected crashes in prices. With social distancing being the new normal for foreseeable future,
Dr. Ramdas Kambale, Director - Sales APAC and Board Member, Vetphage Pharmaceuticals.
and the need for hygienically stored meat which is not touched by hand is going to go up. Customers are going to educate themselves and start looking for traceability, t, and fresh and hygienic meat. Processed meat is the logical answer to all the above demands, and it will allow producers to adhere to the strict quality requirements. Players who can integrate themselves into a b r a n d - d r i ve n p ro c e s s e d m e a t market could gain a lot from this trend. However, there are a number of challenges that need to be addressed if we want the industry to flourish. Challenges 1. Transportation Over 60 percent of broiler birds and eggs are produced in six major
Poultry Planner | Vol. 22 | No.07 | September - 2020
