The poultry and fisheries sectors in the State have been hit hard due to the demonetisation of high-value currencies and left the farmers a worried lot.
According to sources in the Department of Fisheries and Animal Resource Development Department (DoFARD), in the poultry sector nearly one crore eggs are lying unsold with the producers while fish auction centres have come to a grinding halt. The DoFARD sources said poultry farmers are sending SOS to the department’s Secretary Bishnupada Sethi to tide off their crisis.
According to the sources, the daily egg production is over 40 lakh, of which nearly 40 per cent are remaining unsold since the demonetisation.
Jogeswar Hota of the Hota Poultry Farm in Sonepur reported that he has around four lakh eggs in his godown with no buyer coming forward to pick them up. Though some buyers have approached him, they are offering lower than the market price, he said.
Hota has said that as a result of this, he is unable to buy feed for the birds and is left with feed stock for only 15 days, said a senior DoFARD official. Similarly, a prominent entrepreneur, Prakash Rout, has reported that the prices of broiler chicken have drastically fallen to Rs 60 from Rs 80 that prevailed in the market nearly ten days ago. His weekly sale has also fallen to 2.23 lakh birds from the earlier 5.5 lakh. According to him, since transporters are demanding cash payment, supply of raw materials to his farm and payment to daily wage workers have been hit hard.
Overall, a 30-per cent reduction in the sale of chicken and 40 per cent in eggs have been reported by the farmers since the demonetisation on November 9, the sources said.
These farmers have urged the State Government to lift eggs under the Midday Meal program, said a senior official.
Similar is the situation in the fishery sector also. The Fisheries Director has reported that the trading at fish landing centres has been badly hit with a 30-per cent fall. The trading at several centres has also come to a halt as the traders lack new currency notes.
The shrimp farmers are seriously affected as auction markets, which operate on cash transaction basis, have come to a standstill while production at ice plants has gone slow. The farmers are not harvesting shrimp and avoiding credit sales. The prices have gone down considerably, the sources said.