Page 24 - Think Grain Think Feed - December 2023

www.benisonmedia.com INTERVIEW the chairman highlighted Representing the All-India plans to experiment with

Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 10 | Issue 2 | Dec 2023

Broilers Breeders Association, different seeds to optimize
that maize prices are
production, thereby
Zoya Afreen Alam, Director
currently at INR 25,000 per
supporting the farming
MT, while international prices of IB Group, suggested that
for non-GM maize are at
could aid the industry in
He anticipates stability in
USD 275 per MT CNF
managing this crisis,
Mumbai, equivalent to duty-free maize imports community.
maize prices due to recent
approximately INR 26,000 especially given increased developments, such as the
per MT for plant delivery. He insurance costs due to the removal of the sugarcane
underscored the impact of ongoing Ukraine war. ban for ethanol production.
India's ethanol blending Implementing stock Vasant Kumar Shetty,
program, which may divert holding capacity on former president of Poultry
25 lakh MT of maize for Farmers & Breeders
domestic market
ethanol production. Association-MH, expressed
traders is a potential
The industry is expected to that while Indian maize
encounter challenges with short-term solution. farmers deserve fair
decreasing carry-over stock For a long-term fix, she compensation, it is crucial to
of soybean seed, making proposed allowing GM crop safeguard the poultry
soybean meal more crucial cultivation, potentially industry. Rising feed
for the poultry feed industry, doubling crop production ingredient costs would
especially as alternative and benefiting both elevate the cost of
protein sources like rapeseed agriculture and poultry production, potentially
DOC and groundnut DOC farmers. negatively impacting egg
and chicken consumption.
experience record-high Ranpal Dhanda, President of
Last year, the average
prices. the Poultry Federation of
production cost was INR 91
India (PFI), highlighted the
The association urged per kg, with a selling price of
30-35% cost difference in
the government to feed ingredients gives an INR 92 per kg, indicating a
slim margin for the
take positive action by edge to American and
Brazilian poultry industries in sustainability of the industry.
permitting duty-free
exporting to the Asian To address this, Mr. Shetty
maize and GM market. In contrast, India, proposed that the Indian
soybean meal to support with its high production government should
costs, holds a mere 0.3%
poultry and dairy farming in procure maize at MSP
share of the Asian export
India.
market. from farmers and
Maize & Indian poultry
He proposed a potential supply it to the
growth: A substantial
solution for duty-free maize
disparity industry to help
imports, emphasizing the
Over the last decade, maize maintain production
need for a long-term
crop growth has been at
strategy. Mr. Dhanda costs.
4.5%, while the poultry
suggested motivating Dr. Pattabhi, Treasurer of the
industry has experienced a
growth of 8.5-9%. This agriculture farmers to Institution of Veterinarians of
Poultry Industry (IVPI), a
disparity highlights the shift towards maize
anticipated maize shortage leading association of
production by poultry veterinarians,
for the poultry industry,
making sustainability offering a buy-back communicated his concerns
over a 30% reduction in
challenging. The guarantee at MSP or a
government's plan to maize crop due to monsoon
rate higher than MSP.
promote maize for ethanol failure, average quality, and
In alignment with this, PFI stock holding by traders
would exacerbate the
has initiated discussions with during a phone call.
situation.
various seed companies and
24