KANGPOKPI, June 23: Chicken meat lovers are bearing the brunt after the shutting down of the three chicken centres at Kangpokpi due to unavailability of poultry chicken, which has also drastically affected the livelihood of some individuals who earn their living in poultry business.
One of the poultry sellers said that the market of poultry at Kangpokpi has gone without chicken for the past one month due to shortage of poultry thereby severely affecting the entire poultry business and the general public.
Speaking to this correspondent, Sangai Chicken Centre, IT Road, Kangpokpi proprietor Deben said that, a total of more than 400 Kg of chicken meat (dressed) and around 300 Kg (live) were sold every day by the three chicken centres at Kangpokpi earlier but now, there is not a single poultry for sale which has caused immense losses.
“We have been supplying to all hotels in and around Kangpokpi and to our respective customers on daily basis while we also supply to boarding schools, churches, etc on weekly basis. Now it has been total stopped,” Deben said sadly.
All the three chicken centres at Kangpokpi were supplied chicken meat by Avian House, Khonghampat Imphal West.
Since this house has stopped supplying the poultry now, there is complete shortage of chicken at Kangpokpi.
Deben further narrated that the unavailability of poultry is mainly due the poultry farms based outside the state who are already controlling the market and raising the price according their wish without considering the outcome, adding that price hike in the chicken feeds also account for the shortage.
Narrating the severe hardships faced by the chicken dealers at Kangpokpi, Deben asked, “If we do not do this business, then what will we eat?” The shortage of poultry chicken for one month has drastically affected our businesses and family, he lamented.
Considering the shortage of poultry chicken in the entire state as well as the immense hardships faced by the poultry business and the general public, Deben pointed out that poultry chicken is of course available from outside state but the imported poultry from outside state are illegal. It has been imported without verification by the Vety and Animal Husbandry Dept thereby giving serious threat to human lives.
He further added that it will be wise on the part of the govt to promote local poultry farms in the state rather than allowing the outside farms to import non-verified poultry chicken in the state.
It is our earnest appeal to the state government to initiate the speediest measures to revive the already non-functional poultry farms of the state considering the numerous disadvantages of the imported poultry, he concluded.