Budget Expectation 2024-25: Ricky Thaper

“The Poultry Industry, which employs millions of people and has been witnessing one of the fastest growth in the range of around 8 – 10% annually, is looking forward to sustained supply of feed, which has a share of around 60-65% in the cost of production. From the Union Budget (2024-25), the poultry industry expects measures boosting supplies of maize, a key ingredient in the poultry feed. The domestic prices of maize have been at elevated levels because of growing demand for maize from several other industries such as pharmaceutical, ethanol, food and beverages industry. While the government must initiate steps to increase production of maize in coming years, import liberalisation should be given prominence so that the cost of production of the poultry sector remains stable. As done a few years back for soybean meal, the government must allow import of genetically modified (GM) corn and soybean meal so that the poultry industry is assured of raw material supplies for the feed in a cost effective and sustainable manner.”

“The GM corn and soybean meal imports should be allowed with a fixed quota during off or non-harvesting season here so that it does not adversely impact the farmers’ price realisation. Reduction in import duties on these ingredients in the poultry feed should be announced soon. While the government has extended the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund being implemented under Infrastructure Development Fund with an outlay of Rs.29,610 crore for another three years up to 2025-26, thrust on providing financial incentives to poultry feed plants and poultry meat processing units. The creation of cold storage infrastructure at the retail levels should be encouraged to harness the growth potential of the poultry sector. We need more sustainable, efficient, technology-enabled modern cold chain facilities to ensure that no protein value is diminished during the poultry birds’ journey from farm-to-fork. Support from refrigerated infrastructure creation in transportation of poultry birds should be provided enough attention in the budget so that the value-chain of the poultry industry remains sustainable and remunerative for the farmers.”