Hike in the price of poultry feed has led to poultry farmers in Sarpang shut down their business. Some farm owners have not been able to feed their chickens owing to an increase in the price of feed and this has resulted in less production of eggs.
Farmers claim that 50 kilograms of poultry feed which used to cost Nu 1250 previously is now costing Nu 1770.
Around six poultry farmers at Darjaythang in Shompangkhag Gewog closed their farms recently. They had to do so because the return from the sale of eggs is less as compared to the expenditures incurred in running a poultry farm.
“It is not easy to run and sustain a poultry farm with the price of feed rising while eggs do not fetch a good price,” said Chandrakala Tamang, who runs a poultry farm at Darjaythang in Shompangkhag.
“Because the feed price has increased I could not feed the chickens. So they stopped laying eggs. This has incurred a loss of around Nu 15,000,” added Dalbir Mongar, another poultry farmer in the same village.
Some farmers even tried switching to broiler farming from layer but did not find any gain.
“Some chickens stopped laying eggs so I switched to broiler business. But there is no good market because there are already many people in broiler farming. I cannot sell the meat and might have to throw away. Last time also I could sell only 31 pieces,” said Pem Dorji Tamang.
The secretary of Sarpang Layer Cooperative said the price of feed has risen for three times in a year. The Cooperative has written to Karma Feed Factory in Phuentshogling to negotiate the price but it was turned down.
For now, poultry farmers are looking forward to seeing a drop in the feed price with interventions from the concerned agencies.
Karma Wangdi
