Secretary, DAHD Chairs Roundtable Meeting with Leading Poultry Exporters to Boost Poultry Exports

The Secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Alka Upadhaya, convened a roundtable meeting yesterday, which was a major step forward for India's growing chicken industry. The gathering aimed to address challenges and devise strategies to fortify the export of Indian poultry products, attracting key stakeholders such as leading companies, state governments, and industry associations.

Highlighting the pivotal role of the Indian poultry sector in meeting protein and nutritional needs, Upadhaya noted that while crop production has been rising at a modest rate of 1.5 to 2 percent per annum, egg and broiler production have surged at an impressive rate of 8 to 10 percent per annum. Over the past two decades, India has emerged as a major global producer of eggs and broiler meat.

Upadhaya outlined several initiatives undertaken by the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying to boost exports. Recently, a self-declaration of freedom from High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza was submitted, with 33 recognized poultry compartments declared free from Avian Influenza. Of these, 26 compartments were notified to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), and on October 13, 2023, the self-declaration was approved by WOAH. The Department has also addressed issues such as feed shortages and misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Secretary stressed the importance of promoting poultry exports, enhancing the Indian poultry sector, improving the ease of doing business, and strategizing the integration of units in the informal sector to solidify India's position as a global player in the poultry industry. Upadhaya shared insights into the Department's proactive approach in mitigating risks associated with High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza through poultry compartmentalization, facilitating international trade.

In the fiscal year 2022-23, India made significant strides in the global market, exporting 664,753.46 metric tons of poultry products valued at Rs. 1,081.62 crores (134.04 Million USD) to over 57 countries. A recent market intelligence study reported that the Indian poultry market achieved a remarkable valuation of USD 30.46 billion in 2023, with a projected Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.1% from 2024 to 2032.

Representatives from the poultry sector engaged in fruitful discussions on various issues related to poultry exports, paving the way for a more resilient and globally competitive industry.