Pulwama, Oct 28: Scores of poultry farms are in dire straits and more than two dozen continue to remain shut at State Industrial Development Corporation India (SIDCO) Lassipora in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Many young and highly qualified entrepreneurs who have established their poultry farms at SIDCO Lassipora said that they are facing huge losses due to the official apathy and regret to have chosen this sector for doing business. “Poultry farm business is yet to be registered as an industrial sector by the government as it has been put in the black list,” said Irshad Ahmad, one of the poultry farm owners at SIDCO Lassipora.
“The hatchery as well as the poultry farming needs uninterrupted power supply but we face uneven power cuts here which affect the rearing of chicks,” he added.
Younis Ahmad, a PhD scholar, who aspires to be an entrepreneur, said that his business suffered loss during last year compelling him to close his poultry farm.
”Despite having a PhD under my belt, I choose this sector to generate employment opportunities but we are facing multiple issues which has compelled us to shut down our units.”
“The major problem faced by the poultry farm owners is the fluctuating rate, we receive chicks at the cost of 50 rupees per chick and then there are costs of feed, medicine, saw dust, consultancy, man power, and infrastructure. And after feeding the estimate cost , one kilogram per chicken is 90 or above it during winters, but the supply received from outside states sell cheaper than this and we also get compelled to sell at cheaper rates and put us in losses,” added Younis Ahmad.
Riyaz Ahmad, another young educated poultry farmer said, “We are lacking a proper medical support here for ensuring a healthy livestock as the Animal Husbandry Department has failed to establish a clinic at SIDCO.”
“There is no feed plant AT the SIDCO Lassipora industrial area which is also one of the reasons as why have we closed our units as the price of feed is very high in the market which increases every year,” says another poultry farm owner.
Poultry farmer owners alleged that the basic reason behind their losses is the mechanism of fixing the rates as government fixes rates by taking into consideration the outside state markets. “The government does not keep into consideration the demographic and weather conditions of valley while fixing the rates of poultry produce in Kashmir. Imports from outside state must stop as poultry production in Kashmir can ensure sufficient supply to meet the demands here.”
When contacted Manager SIDCO Lassipora, Mashood Ali about the recognition of poultry farm as an industrial sector, he said: “The poultry farm owners meet me along with a joint written application regard to their issues and I assure to resolve their genuine demands as soon as possible.”
