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Poultries bearing brunt of sweltering heat
The sweltering heat in Chittoor district has an adverse impact on poultry industry in the form of death of poultry birds. According to a conservative estimate, at least five per cent of the poultry birds perished in the district so far. At a time the poultry production has been hit hard, death of the poultry birds has come as a bolt from the blue to the farmers.
Tirupati: The sweltering heat in Chittoor district has an adverse impact on poultry industry in the form of death of poultry birds. According to a conservative estimate, at least five per cent of the poultry birds perished in the district so far. At a time the poultry production has been hit hard, death of the poultry birds has come as a bolt from the blue to the farmers.
Highlights:
- 5% of the poultry birds perished from an estimate of 40 lakh in the district
- Poultry birds can withstand temperatures up to 107 degrees Fahrenheit but perishing with district recording more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit
In Chittoor district, there are an estimated 40 lakh layer poultry birds and one crore broiler hens. At least 15,000 families are dependent on the industry indirectly for livelihood. Till two months ago, the poultry industry is on the surge as farmers inclined towards the poultry with the failure of agriculture.
However, since the last two months prices of eggs and chicken nosedived. Several hatcheries were compelled to reduce the prices. Poultries, which are selling eggs and chicken sans an agreement with the hatcheries, bore the brunt of the losses. Besides, the death of poultry birds due to sweltering heat compounded their woes.
Poultry birds can withstand temperatures up to 107 degrees Fahrenheit. However, at present temperatures more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit are being recorded. Poultry chicks could not even survive for a week because of the sweltering heat. Poultry owners say that the complete survival could not be achieved in spite of water fogging is being done in the poultries daily. They express their anguish over the prevailing conditions which force closing down of poultries saying that they had never encountered such a grave situation.
More or less, the prevailing situation is a natural calamity, the poultry owners said. At least 10 families work in poultries in villages. The poultry owners are hesitating to buy young chicks and rear them in their poultries for fearing their death due to heat. As a result, the poultry workers were thrown out of work. They are forced to take alternative employment.
By KM Mohan
