RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Severe heat wave conditions and intense humidity are causing heavy losses to poultry farmers across Andhra Pradesh, particularly in the combined East and West Godavari districts.
Layer chickens are dying in large numbers as soaring temperatures continue during the Rohini Karthe period. According to poultry industry representatives, nearly 10 lakh birds are dying every day across the state, while the undivided Godavari districts alone are recording the death of around 2 to 3 lakh birds daily.
Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Poultry Federation, Komatapalli Subbarao, urged the government to immediately intervene and support distressed poultry farmers. He said poultry farm owners have so far incurred Rs 50 crore losses. Egg production has drastically fallen due to extreme heat stress. While poultry farms usually record around 90 per cent egg production, it has now dropped to nearly 35 per cent. The combined Godavari districts currently have around Rs 1.40 crore layer birds.
Farmers are also struggling with a sharp rise in feed prices. Soybean prices increased from Rs 38,000 to Rs 72,000 per tonne within a month. Groundnut cake prices rose from Rs 35,000 to Rs 55,000, while DOP feed prices climbed from Rs 12,000 to Rs 19,000 per tonne.
Poultry farm owners said labour charges, electricity bills and medicine expenses have doubled during summer, forcing many farmers into debt.
They demanded the restoration of interest subsidy schemes on poultry loans and urged the government to regulate unfair practices by traders from other states. Manda Tata Reddy, a poultry farm owner from Pittalavemavaram, said production has reduced by half, and operational costs have become unbearable. Farmer Bhupathiraju Varahala Raju from Khandavalli said farmers are suffering losses worth lakhs of rupees as egg prices remain below production costs.