Poultry industry on verge of collapse

The poultry industry is in a major crisis today due to the high prices of poultry feed and the exploitation of local maize manufacturers. Chairman, All Island Poultry Association, Dr. D. D. Wanasinghe said a large number of small and medium scale poultry farmers who are the most affected by the crisis have given up the business.

"Unless the authorities intervene to reduce taxes on imported maize and fix a maximum retail price per kilogram of locally manufactured maize early, the industry will die a natural death soon. Maize constitutes over 50 percent of the poultry feed ration in the country", Dr. Wanasinghe said.

Prices of chicken have sky rocketed due to the uncontrolled increase in prices of poultry feed.There has been a marked scarcity of chicken in markets due to the number of farms that have closed down.The price per kilo of cleaned chicken has been ranging from Rs. 400-450.

Over 1 million people directly depend on the poultry industry which has been their main income source for several years.A blow to a vital industry will result in unemployment to a large number of people.

Dr. Wanasinghe said egg prices too have gone up due to the high cost of production. Farmers cannot even break even by selling at such prices. "Discussions held with the authorities to lift restrictions on the import of maize and impose a maximum retail price on a kilo of local maize have been futile", he said.

(LF)