Sharp rise in poultry feed mars farmers

Chitwan: The price of raw materials needed for poultry feed has witnessed an excessive hike in the recent days citing impacts on the international market due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the rise in raw materials’ price, the feed producers have increased the price of poultry feed, which has affected the poultry farmers in the district. Managing Director of Sky Lark Agro Company, one of the largest poultry feed industries in Nepal, Tikaram Pokharel said that the raw materials required for poultry feed have sharply risen. The price of legumes that used to cost Rs 72 last year is now Rs 120 per kg. The price of corn is Rs 38 per kg from 32 while the price of oil is Rs 242 per litre from Rs 160. Legumes and corn are used almost 75 per cent in the poultry feed. Pokharel claimed that the price of vitamins, minerals and other medicinal items has increased up to 40 per cent, making poultry farming costlier.

Pokharel, also the vice-chairman of the Poultry Association of Nepal, said that the farmers are directly affected after the price hike in feed and raw materials adding that they were having a tough time even getting their basic costs after the reduced price of eggs and chicken. The importers have encountered difficulties to import maize and legume from India and Bangladesh citing decreased production this year. Likewise, they have complained of the unavailability of containers to bring in goods from the third countries. The international trade chain has been collapsed due to COVID-19, the traders said. —