Tasavur Mushtaq
SRINAGAR
Tariq Ahmad, 27, is cursing the day when he opted to be an entrepreneur and establish poultry farm in central Kashmir’s Budgam district. Three years after starting his dream project, Tariq today regret in a ‘big way’ as why he opted the sector, which he claims, is in the ‘blacklist’ of the government.
Tariq has a reason to say so. While talking to Kashmir Life, he said that in last three years, he incurred a loss of more than Rs 6 lakhs.
Not only Tariq, there are many more qualified youth who are in the field of poultry but now want to switch their business activities. According to reports, there are around twenty thousand families associated with the trade.
The problems faced by farmers are diverse; major being the fluctuating rate. Farmers claim that with the present rate list in vogue, they incur loss of Rs 30 per bird/kg. Giving details, they said that one-day-old chick comes at around Rs 30. And then there are costs of feed, medicine, saw dust, consultancy, man power and use of infrastructure.
According to the estimate, 1kg bird at farm is valued at the cost of around Rs 90 and sold to dealers at Rs 60. The market rate according to officials is Rs 75-80. This puts question mark on the sustainability of the sector.
Sami Ullah, another young post-graduate farmer, asks as why only poultry sector is being scapegoat in the name of benefits given to consumer when actually consumers also bear the brunt and major share is taken by the middlemen.
Sami has a farm of capacity 7500 birds and he claims to have incurred loss of more than Rs 10 lakhs in last three years. Having finance to the tune of Rs 22 lakhs, he is finding it hard to pay the installments.
Comparing the market rate of Feed when he started his farm in Budgam, Sami says, at that time the feed was Rs 1200 per 50kg, which has today swelled at Rs 2100, “but the rate per kilogram of chicken is still not to the tune to accommodate the increase.”
Besides per truck of feed, the farmers have to pay Rs 5800 as toll tax. The farmers say that in other cases like cow feed, fish feed etc, there is no involvement of tax.
The major deterrent in smooth functioning of these farmers is believed to be the systemic failures which at various levels are inhibiting the growth.
What farmers allege is that the basic reason of their plight is the mechanism of fixing rate in the market. According to them, rates are being fixed as per the markets outside the state without taking into consideration the input costs incurred in valley. They say that due to demography and weather conditions, farming is much more difficult and costly than rest of India
Rejecting the claims that in last few months production has exceeded 3.5 crore birds, farmers said that most of the farms in valley were shut in winters and having such a production is out of question. They further said that if growth is to the extent that there is no requirement to import birds, why still import continues.
Experts, however, say that in valley per year consumption is around 5 crore birds and locally, there is production of 3.80 crore birds in one complete year and not in few months.
“We produce 3.80 crore birds in one year and not in few months,” Mukhddomi told KL over phone.
Mukhdoomi acknowledges that there are various problems faced by farmers and interventions should be made for the benefit of the farmer. He further said that government has constituted high powered committee to look into the matter.
The farmers, however, term the committee formation as mere eye wash. “The file is pending from February 2013 and what is high powered committee doing,” asks Tariq.
Terming the growth as step forward to achieve self sufficiency, Mukhdoomi said that in next few years the target of being self sufficient could be achieved.
Experts suggest that given the situation, self sufficiency has a long way to go as everything required comes from outside the valley.
“See from a day old chick to medicine and feed, we have to import everything from outside and to me, this is not self sufficiency,” said Dr Syed Altaf, assistant manager government poultry farm Athwajan.
Dr Altaf further says that that the major share of profit is being taken by other than farmers. Giving details of his study he said: “on an average, farmers earn Rs 4.85 per bird; dealer Rs 7.21 per bird; and retailer Rs 23.50 per bird.”
Talking about the rate in vogue, Dr Altaf said that there is need to see the input costs of farmers and then decide the rate; so that, they can earn their livelihood and be encouraged to help this sector to grow.
Besides rate, the farmers say that government has still not included poultry in industrial sector; neither it figures under insurance.
“In 2012, we lost thousands of birds to Rani Khet disease, and we are yet to be compensated for the same,” said Naveel Yousuf, a young farmer.
The farmers while talking about rate on the basis of demand and supply said, that there is Navrata being celebrated in other parts of country and during these days, the whole produce is directed to valley, bringing down the prices. Besides, they say that import of layer bird is other contributing factor.
“It is Navrata in other parts where from birds are imported. They don’t consume meat these days. Besides, layer which is dog food, is being sold in valley bringing down the prices,” Naveel told Kashmir Life.
The other side of story is that: dealers which farmers and experts believe are taking ‘major share’ are not registered. “The dealers make fortune out of our blood. They have nothing at stake,” said Sami.
Despite repeated attempts, Director CAPD Baashir Ahmad did not pick call from this office.
One of the pioneering institutes in state, Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) has been on forefront to encourage youth to opt for entrepreneurship in different sectors. In last few years, EDI has encouraged and trained 400 unemployed youth to opt for the poultry sector. The evolving situation is seen as ‘distressful’ for farmers to continue.
“EDI by virtue of awareness, training, and seed capital encourages youth to opt for various trades including poultry. But due to policy inertia of government, the environment is not enabling,” said an EDI official on condition of anonymity.
Tariq and other farmers have lost hope to have another batch as the losses are ‘huge’ and hopes of survival not so good.
“As I failed to pay my installment this month, my guarantor was debited Rs 26000 by bank,” he said.
Not only the entrepreneurs, the youth employed in these farms fear for their survival. Adil Ahmad, who works with a farm in Hazratbal while talking to Kashmir Life said that the stability seems to be at stake.
Sami says that he employs four educated youth with him for the purpose, but he sees it difficult to retain them.
“I have to pay them salary, where from I will get that,” he said.
While talking about the personal interest shown by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in helping them out a year ago, Tariq said that despite his (Omar) assurances, “nothing happened on ground”.
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