NEW DELHI: With maize production likely to drop for the second straight year due to drought, the government has allowed state-owned PEC to import 5,00,000 tonnes of maize at zero duty to meet starch and poultry industry's demand. 

Incredible as it may sound, the fact is that maize has beaten most other food crops, including wheat and rice, in terms of growth in production and productivity, especially in recent years. Much of this growth is technology-driven although expansion in crop area and better crop management have also contributed to it. Around 65 per cent of the area under maize is now used to cultivate hybrids, including various types of speciality produce such as sweetcorn, popcorn, baby corn and protein-upgraded corn called quality protein maize (QPM). Growers get higher returns for these types of corn. Improvements in the economics of maize cultivation seem imminent in coming years, thanks to present research strategies to enhance the quality of its protein, raise its beta-carotene (vitamin A) content and impart greater inbuilt resistance to it against diseases and weather-induced stresses such as drought.

The Indian government seems to have been making all out efforts to protect domestic poultry sector from US imports ahead of the June-2016 deadline for removing restrictions on the entry of these products.

With foggy weather likely to increase the feed intake in layer poultry, farmers were asked to keep the energy content at a higher level and refrain from use of high moisture maize.

NEW DELHI- India will soon ask state-run traders to import half a million tonnes of duty-free cornafter a second straight drought cut output, in what would be the country's first overseas purchase in 16 years, two government sources said on Thursday.

Mushrooming of hatcheries across the country has led to increase in production of layer birds that led to increase in egg production. However, due to drop in wholesale price of eggs, most of the poultry owners face huge loss every year, R. Nallathambi, president, Tamil Nadu Egg Poultry Farmers Association said here on Sunday.

The Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) is preparing to launch poultry and goat entrepreneurship development training programme for entrepreneurs of Lakshadweep.

Pulwama:Poultry unit holders in south Kashmiri’s Pulwama district today accused State’s animal husbandry department of denying them vaccines for various viral infections in poultry.

The meat-eater's picnic has abruptly ended. In the last ten days, the retail price of chicken has jumped by between 30 and 50 per cent. The price of live chicken at retail stores has risen from Rs 90 to between Rs 130-140 per kilogram, whereas that of dressed chicken has crossed Rs 200 per kilogram at most retail chicken stalls. 

The UP government is looking at diversification for farmers and will therefore pitch in for extra budgetary allocation in the next fiscal for poultry and dairy sectors so that farmers do not have to rely solely on farm earning.

Zimbabwe Poultry Farmers’ Association chairman George Nare told NewsDay that local producers were now capable of meeting demand and there was no need for imports.

Hong Kong has announced the opening of its market for Indian chicken and eggs two months after Kuwait lifted a ban on import of poultry products from the country.

This opens up a big opportunity for Indian exporters. The Hong Kong market for poultry products is worth $2 billion. Even if Indian exporters capture 10 per cent this in 2016-17, India's export of poultry products will triple to $300 million from $106 million in 2014-15.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: S Kuttappan Chettiar is the new chairman of the Kerala State Poultry Development Corporation (KSPDC). A government order issued by the Department of Agriculture on December 19 said that K Padmakumar had been removed from the post with immediate effect and Chettiar had been appointed in his place.

Pulwama :The state government is looking to set up a poultry mandi in south Kashmiri’s Pulwama district to streamline the unorganised sale of birds. The land for the mandi has been identified at Kakapora, around 5 km from here. A big chunk of population in the area is associated with rearing of poultry birds. 

KOZHIKODE: City corporation authorities have decided to strictly adhere to rules at the time of issuing licences to shops selling meat and chicken. The move has been taken on the basis of unanimous suggestions put forth by councillors during the last council to avoid pollution owing to non-disposal of generated waste.

The Department of Prisons, in association with the Animal Husbandry Department (AHD), is organising a three-day training programme in animal husbandry for the inmates of the district jail here.

Poultry farmers were asked to ensure low moisture and high energy diet along with additional vitamin D3 for poultries to prevent breakage in shells.