Page 34 - Poultry-Punch April 2020 edition

POULTRY PUNCH NEWS

INDIAN POULTRY INDUSTRY AND SOCIETY

Dr D.K.Dey
rom the Neolithic era to modern this. Not that we have been victims to these
civilization the Mankind and Animals types of rumours for the first time – Hormones
Fco-existed. While the domestication used in Chicken / Excessive use of antibiotics
of animals started with the source of food in in Poultry / Chicken consumptions
mind, wildlife, pet animals remained a part leads to impotence all these things.
of our life and ecosystem. However factors What can we do? Governments at
like changing demographics, Re alignment the Centre, and the States have their
of World order, WTO, Dominance of Social own priorities. Poultry Industry in
Media has challenged our conventional India has earned the status of World’s
mind sets , values . leading Poultry Producing Country –
Modern civilization also leads to aspirational now the onus is on us--
lifestyle; nuclear families led to dependence of All the Producers – Be it Broiler
Pet Animals worldwide, not surprisingly the damage to Indian Poultry Industry. The integrators, Breeding Companies, Feed
Petcare segment alone contribute almost 38% World will defeat COVID 19 for sure, India will producers, Value Added Chicken producers,
of Global Animal Health market. Humanity be victorious against COVID 19 – but Indian Layer Egg producers must improve the
has survived many epidemics and pandemics Society and Indian Poultry industry could not Marketing condition. A market is a place
from Circa in the prehistoric age to different fight the RUMOUR. I do not wish to blame where consumers demands are met with –
types of plague, yellow fever, Flu, Polio, AIDS, any individual /organization in particular but if we can get appropriately dressed Chicken
EBOLA, ZIKA to the Latest COVID 19. let us admit that this is a collective failure. in Supermarkets, Clean Eggs in Trays in
In most of these epidemics/pandemics, Let us have a closer look at what happened Supermarket why not in small/medium
Animals are the prime suspects who are – it started with Whatsapp rumour that outlets. It is needless to say the Supermarkets
assumed to be responsible, sometimes spread across all forms of social media. We reach only to limited customers in the urban
wrongfully. With the depleting agricultural could hardly do anything. I have been closely area – but the problem of unhygienic Chicken
land, depleting water resource, there is a monitoring the situation since December outlets is Nationwide.
tremendous pressure on Modern Animal 2019. Why this rumour did not impact fish Under the above, my 5 point suggestions
Husbandry practice. Dependence of Animal consumption much, it did not change Mutton are as follows
Proteins like Milk, Meat, Egg, Aqua products Consumption, but it affected the Poultry? 1. Accept the fact that Live Chicken will
are increasing. The geneticists are working The common man in Society, the House remain a Commodity in India – ensure
relentlessly to develop productivity traits of wives, Chicken /Egg consumers in general Adequate Hygiene in the Marketplace
livestock/poultry. Nutritionists are working related these rumours to poorly managed 2. Boycott Traders using unhygienic
on offering cost-effective Nutrition solutions Live Chicken outlets all across the Country, transport vehicles, incentivize those who
to optimize Genetic potentials, Health Care Egg trays in standard shops with litters, poor use cleaner vehicle
professionals are working hard to develop conditions of most of the Chicken transport 3. Similarly, boycott Chicken / Egg outlets
an effective vaccine and other Animal Health vehicles, poor disposals of offal from Chicken who keeps the shop in unsanitary
Solutions. shops forced them to distance from Egg / conditions, incentivize cleanershop
The surge of Animal Husbandry activities Chicken consumption. The so-called rumours 4. Appoint Chief Extension Officer –
and its commercial visibility has also drawn and the poorly kept Egg /Chicken outlets who can effectively reach out all the
the attention of many NGOs/ Media thus triggered panic in the mind of consumers. stakeholders in the Poultry Value Chain
creating too many hurdles for our industry. We as a part of this industry could not – from Producers toConsumers
At times HUMAN WELFARE is sacrificed for anticipate this even if we have realized this 5. Let us press for a serious enquiry and
the sake of ANIMAL WELFARE!! We must later we did not have any antidote! find out who is responsible for such
remind ourselves that for a country like ours We need to find who gains the most from wide sprayed rumours – is it some fringe
we need to strike a healthy balance between a disturbance of this magnitude in Poultry elements or some organized groups?
FOOD SECURITY AND FOOD SAFETY. industry—Fish and mutton is also sold in It will take months to re build Indian
COVID 19 – The Global pandemic has similar unhygienic condition, why they were Poultry Industry, let us work together, let all
ruined the world economy – we are yet to not affected as in case of Poultry? the stake holders work together and create
ascertain the extent of the damage. But Collective efforts such as chicken mela to a robust mechanism to defeat the rumours.
much before actual COVID 19 came to India, promote chicken consumption and other Like any viral disease – we say Prevention is
another human-made disaster – RUMOUR initiatives did a bit but didn’t warrant that we better than Cure, let us defeat the rumour
came to India and inflicted irreparable will be able to overcome another rumour like before it defeats us.

34 April, 2020