PM urged to intervene in recurring shortage, price volatility of maize for poultry sector

New Delhi: A Kolkata-based chamber of commerce wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to intervene in the "recurring shortage and price volatility" of maize and other essential feed used by the country's poultry sector.

The Merchants' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) also claimed that the issue has become a structural problem requiring coordinated national-level intervention.

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In a representation submitted to the PM on Monday, the business association said the problem extends beyond the poultry industry and has implications for the viability of millions of poultry farmers and allied enterprises, the economic interests of maize growers, rural employment, agricultural credit, industrial investment and the country's foreign exchange position.

The chamber said the recurring crisis requires "more than temporary measures" and called for coordinated action by the Centre and state governments to address supply-side constraints and ensure stability in the availability and pricing of essential feed materials.

Anmol Feeds Managing Director and MCCI past president Amit Saraogi told PTI that the poultry feed industry was facing mounting pressure due to inadequate availability of raw materials, which he attributed partly to demand from the ethanol sector and lower crop output.

"There will be a severe shortage of animal protein in the next three months," Saraogi said, warning that feed price inflation had already crossed 20 per cent.

He said the shortage of raw materials could further aggravate cost pressures in the animal feed industry and affect the availability and affordability of animal protein.

Saraogi estimated the Indian animal feed market at around Rs 10 lakh crore.

MCCI president Munish Jaiswal, in the letter, said the chamber was willing to work with the ministries concerned and state governments to constitute working groups, conduct stakeholder consultations and develop time-bound action plans.

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The chamber also offered to provide industry inputs, technical expertise and ground-level feedback to assess implementation of proposed measures.

It requested the Prime Minister to direct the departments concerned to examine the issues raised and initiate time-bound action.

Copies of the representation were also sent to Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, among others.

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