The Hindu Business Line : Poultry farmers look to higher maize output

POULTRY farmers in Andhra Pradesh are expecting a higher output of maize, a major ingredient of poultry feed, this year on account of a significant increase in the area under the crop.

Maize has been sown in an area of 1.02 lakh hectares during the current kharif season as against an area of 82,294 ha last year.

According to the National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC), maize output is expected to be 5.1 lakh tonnes this year as against 4.11 lakh tonnes last year. Despite prevailing drought conditions in the State, the standing crop received sufficient water for flowering and corn formation due to late rainfall.

Meanwhile, Venkateshwara Hatcheries Ltd (VHL) has launched a pilot project around Hyderabad under which maize cultivating farmers are being given one tractor load of poultry litter as manure per one acre of land. The company will deduct Rs 600 per tractor load of litter when farmers sell their maize to the hatchery after harvesting the crop. VHL officials told Business Line that there was good response and so far, 55 farmers had benefited from the scheme. The company was now planning to extend the scheme to other parts of the State.

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Poultry farmers look to higher maize output