Soaring mercury hits poultry meat supplies, prices surge
A sharp increase in mortality due to soaring temperatures and increased demand in the festive season has resulted in chicken prices soaring across South India. Prices, which were hovering around ₹200250 a kg in February and March, have breached the ₹300mark in all the Southern States now.
The poultry industry is currently enjoying the moment. With Ugadi (Telugu New Year) and Ramzan festivals coming to a close this week, industry analysts expect the prices to cool down a bit.
The farmgate prices are hovering around ₹120135 a kg for live birds in different States.
MORTALITY RATES
“The mortality rate of birds in the summer goes up to 20 per cent from 34 per cent during the winter season. Due to stress, the birds take more water than feed, leading to delays in reaching the ideal weight,” Suresh Chitturi, Chairman and Managing Director of Srinivasa Farms, told businessline.
Tamil Nadu Egg Poultry Farmers Marketing Society (PFMS) president Vangili Subramanian echoed a similar view. He said the birds were not consuming the feed due to the extreme heat. In addition, farmers hatching chickens are facing water shortage. As a result, the birds, which have to weigh 2 kg after 40 days, are underweight at 1.61.7 kg. Since the birds are underweight, retailers are not willing to pay. Live birds in Tamil Nadu cost ₹125 a kg, but production costs have also increased to ₹110 from ₹95.
During summer, the mortality rate of the birds is two per cent but this year due to extreme heat, under the influence of El Nino, it is 1015 per cent, he said.
With Tamil Nadu experiencing “large deficient” rainfall since the beginning of March, the western parts of the State — a hub for the poultry sector — is facing a shortage of water. Borewells can help but it takes 2030 days for companies to begin digging them, Subramanian said.
TP Sethumadhavan, former director of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, said increase in temperature from 37 42 degree Celsius is causing heavy mortality of the birds. More than 50 per cent mortality was recorded in many of the broiler and breeder farms. This affects both the production of chicken and the availability of dayold chicks.
More than 35 per cent of broiler farmers are not rearing chicks due to extreme temperatures due to the mortality threat. The time to reach the ideal weight goes up by 78 days, increasing the cost of production, he said.
In Karnataka, the farmgate prices have risen by over a third in April when compared to the previous month.
“Prices may not sustain going ahead due to elasticity of demand,” KS Ashok Kumar of Maa Integrators.
INPUT COSTS RISE
Due to the steady prices of key commodities such as maize and soyabean which account for a sizeable chunk of the feed costs, the cost of production for poultry players has largely ranged between ₹88 and ₹92 per kg, while the average farm gate prices in Karnataka stood at ₹79 per kg in January, ₹109 in February, ₹98 in March.
The last few months have been positive and April, May and June also likely to be positive, Kumar said.