THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: `48,000 in 45 days. That’s the profit successful women entrepreneurs who joined ‘Kerala Chicken’ initiative of Kudumbashree earned. Now, with the Budget announcement 1,000 new poultry units will be launched through Kudumbashree, the small-scale entrepreneurs are now optimistic of increasing profit.‘Kerala Chicken’ is being implemented across the state by Kudumbashree in association with the Kerala State Poultry Development Corporation (Kepco) and the Animal Husbandry Department.
Two entrepreneurs — Sujitha Kumari, who runs the JS poultry farm in Nedumangad, and Anura George of A G poultry farm at Vengode near Attingal — recently procured 1,000 chicks from Kepco, nurtured them for 45 days and handed them back, walking away with a profit of `48,000 each. Their success has inspired other Kudumbashree women to join the ‘Kerala Chicken’ initiative. Kepco provides chicks to Kudumbashree women at `40 per chick. So, an entrepreneur purchasing 1,000 chicks pays Kepco `40,000. The chicks are given feed which costs `98,000 over 45 days. Additional expenses include electricity, water and vaccination, which come up to `2,000. Total expense: `1.4 lakh.
After 45 days, the chicken will weigh an average 2.25 kg. They are procured by Kepco for `85 per kg, fetching the entrepreneur close to `1.88 lakh in total. The profit earned: `48,000.In the first phase of the project, 271 entrepreneurs who run well-established poultry farms were selected. Kudumbashree provided the poultry units `1 lakh as community investment fund on four per cent interest. The amount can be repaid over a year. Steps are also being taken to distribute the fund to over 200 new poultry units for setting up similar ventures. The new poultry units will also get `50,000 as subsidy.
Besides providing income to Kudumbashree women, the ‘Kerala Chicken’ project will reduce the state’s dependence on chicken from neighbouring states and ensure the availability of good quality chicken in the domestic market.Kudumbashree is also planning to train entrepreneurs who would be selected under a scheme announced in the Budget to start the 1,000 new poultry units.Steps will be taken to provide chicken feed on subsidised rates to the units.