CHITWAN: Poultry farmers in Chitwan district are facing severe hardships while most of the small business holders in this field have quit the poultry business.
Investors are having difficulties repaying their loans to banks and financial institutions (BFIs) due to the current economic crisis.
The number of poultry farmers has sharply decreased, said Chairman of Industry Association Chitwan Trilochan Kandel. "The number of layer poultry farms has decreased to less than 4,000 from 8,000. Several poultry businesspersons have been displaced and the existing ones are struggling to thrive," he added.
Binod Pokharel, who has invested billions in this business, said he is working on the marketing of eggs across the country to promote the collective interests of this business community.
Pokharel is rearing as many as 400,000 layer chicks in his Daunne Corporate at Binayi Triveni in Nawalparasi district.
Pokharel shared that the poultry farmers have been bearing losses for years as the income from eggs is limited for the producers.
The businesspersons have argued that poultry farmers have suffered due to the government's unfriendly policies towards this business, which has created some 500,000 job opportunities.
Likewise, the number of hatcheries has decreased to 120 from 348 and the existing hatcheries are running with limited capacity. "This business could crash at any time if the government did not take it into consideration," Nepal Poultry Federation (NPF) Vice Chairman Tikaram Pokharel said.
It is said that the poultry business in the country has drawn more than Rs 200 billion in investment. The government should do something to save this business, NPF Chairman Gun Chandra Bista said.
