Hyderabad: The poultry industry in Telangana was the first sector to be hit by COVID-19. When the pandemic began, people started avoiding poultry products, which is now in demand.
Earlier prices crashed and fallen to an all-time low as now people are consuming chicken and eggs to boost immunity. Consumer confidence has increased, and also there is an increase in people dining out said by the sources. Demand in eggs has also increased. The poultry industry is coming back. Poultry farms that were shut down in April-May are again starting operations.
The nightmares had begun in February, rumors started spreading that consumption of chicken could lead to corona. It resulted in an egg and chicken sales crash.
To banish the fear among the people, the poultry sector associated with the administration made efforts by conducting an awareness campaign but failed to make an impact. However, Now doctors suggesting chicken and eggs as among the best foods to improve immunity. Sales started picked up at chicken centers.
According to poultry farmers, if the daily consumption of eggs between February and April was 1.25 crore per day, sales have now gone up to 2.5 crores a day. Similarly, the sale of broiler birds rose from less than one crore to 1.5 crores per month during this period.
“We can do over 70 percent of business compared to last year. Usually, the egg sales from Telangana are 3.50 crore a day broiler birds per month are 2.50 crore. The industry is steadily returning to normal business and might reach 100 per cent of business by December,” said KG Anand, General Manager, Venkateshwara Hatcheries.
The price of both eggs and chicken is likely to remain high until October and will drop later, depending on supply. Farmers said the price of chicken would be around Rs 220 per kg to 250 Rs kg per kg, while eggs could cost up to Rs. 6. The wholesale price on the farm itself is Rs 4.50 per egg, which costs 5.50 in retail stores. The loss suffered during the exclusion of the poultry industry is estimated at approximately Rs. 3,000 crore.
There are around 10,000 broiler farms and 2,000 layer farms in the state. Apart from within Telangana, eggs are supplied to Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Kolkata, and some parts of Tamil Nadu while broiler birds are sold only within the State.