HYDERABAD: While the National Institute of Nutrition recommends consumption of 180 eggs and 11 kg chicken per person per annum, Telangana, stands just a little behind the standard mark with 163 eggs per capita — highest in the country — against the national average of 68 eggs. However, experts claim that the State is improving its per capita egg and chicken consumption, and if given proper support from the government, it will soon touch the recommended standard, and can be a surplus State in production.
World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends the consumption of eggs and chicken for addressing protein malnutrition and partial blindness prevailing widely amongst rural poor. The Telangana poultry sector produces close to four crore eggs per day out of which two crore are consumed locally and 1.5 crore go to other states.
When experts were asked why the State lags behind and is not able to meet national recommendations, Ponnala Lakshmaiah, who was recently awarded poultry legend award said, “In 1975, when we started the poultry industry in the State, the per capita consumption was only 20 eggs per person per annum. In the last three years, however, our growth in per capita consumption has reduced from 10 per cent to six to seven per cent now. However, if the State government takes proper initiative to boost the industry, we would be able to meet the standard soon.”
Claiming that many religious and sentimental reasons are responsible, KG Anand, general sectary of Venkateshwara Hatcheries said, “Out of 365 days, most non-vegetarians in the State do not eat eggs and meat for almost 130 days for various religious and sentimental reasons. If we look in that context, the State is doing well.” He added that the State poultry sector provides jobs to over six lakh people and contributes about `12,000 crores to the State’s GDP, despite that the government is least bothered about the industry.
“Like in Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, we want Telangana government to give electricity subsidy on tariff rates, `4 minimum support price along with some exemption on shed tax to poultry farmers. If these demands are met, then the State will soon be the only State to meet national egg and chicken consumption standards and can become a surplus State,” he added.