High prices of soyabean de-oiled cake worries Amritsar poultry farmers

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 11

The sharp rise in the prices of soyabean de-oiled cake (DOC), a byproduct of soyabean oil, has greatly affected local poultry farmers.

The rates of poultry feed, which were around Rs30-35 per kg in March, have risen to Rs45-50 per kg. The reason is the prices of soya de-oiled cake have increased from Rs35 per kg in March to nearly Rs100 per kg.

Soya cake is a primary source of protein for birds. The sharp rise in the prices is catastrophic for farmers as the rates of broilers were down due to very low demand owing to navratris. This dealt a double blow to farmers as 1-kg broiler was selling between Rs85 and Rs90, which used to be around Rs105 per kg before the navratris. Amrinder Singh, A young poultry farmer

A chick during its lifespan consumes around 2.5 kg of feed costing around Rs125 kg these days. Besides, costs on other heads such as power, water, labour, rice husk, vaccines, medicines, vitamins and mortality, it costs roughly Rs100 to a farmer. Sukhwinder Singh, poultry farmer

The price hike in soybean oil and de-oiled cake was the result of corporate cartelisation. Big corporate houses procure the crop in bulk at source, store these and then sell these in little quantity to earn huge profits GS Bedi, poultry farmer

Local poultry farmers rear between 3 lakh and 4 lakh birds making the district self-sufficient in fulfilling its demand of poultry products. After oil extraction, de-oiled cake, which is rich in protein, is sold out to poultry farmers for meeting the protein needs of chicks and broilers. The soya de-oiled cake forms 25 per cent of the feed.

Amrinder Singh, a young poultry farmer, said soya cake was the primary source of protein for birds. The sharp rise in the prices of poultry feed was catastrophic for farmers as the rates of broilers were down in the market due to very low demand due to the occurrence of the Navratras. This dealt a double blow to farmers as a kilogram of broiler was selling between Rs 85 and Rs 90, which used to be around Rs 105 per kg before the start of the Navratras.

Sukhwinder Singh, another poultry farmer, says a chick during its lifespan consumes around 2.5 kg of feed costing around Rs 125 kg these days. Besides costs on other heads like power, water, labour, rice husk, vaccines, medicines, vitamins and mortality, it costs roughly Rs 100 to a farmer.

According to GS Bedi, another poultry farmer with decades of experience in poultry farming, says the price hike in soybean oil and de-oiled cake was the result of corporate cartelization. Big corporate houses procure the crop in bulk at source, store these and then sell these in little quantity to earn huge profits.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.