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Iraqis come calling for chicken: The Hindustan Times
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 31: The bird flu epidemic in Asia is finally proving to be good news for India`s poultry industry. An Iraqi business delegation has begun consultations with the Meat Products of India (MPI), a public sector undertaking, to import huge quantities of canned chicken from Kerala.
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 31: The bird flu epidemic in Asia is finally proving to be good news for India's poultry industry. An Iraqi business delegation has begun consultations with the Meat Products of India (MPI), a public sector undertaking, to import huge quantities of canned chicken from Kerala.
"Talks are at a preliminary stage. But the delegation is impressed by our quality and hygiene," MPI managing director Ani S. Das told the Hindustan Times. "They want 400 tonnes per month. First we have to equip ourselves to meet such a huge demand," he added.
There are enough reasons for the sudden popularity of the Indian poultry. Not a single case of bird flu has been reported from India.
Nevertheless, on the first reckoning, it might seem strange that Kerala, which meets most of its chicken demand from Tamil Nadu supplies, should be the destination for the Iraqi delegation. Out of 262 lakh birds culled every year in the state, 250 lakh come from Tamil Nadu.
The reason for this marketing success lies in Kerala's rich tradition of processing marine food. It boasts of some of the best food-processing and packaging units in the country. For these units, preservation techniques are the same — whether it is chicken or fish.
Besides, with three international airports and a couple of seaports, transportation is not a problem.
The Iraqi delegation's visit is good news for chicken farmers and exporters. Many firms, which have been exporting canned chicken legs and breasts, suffered badly after several Gulf countries banned chicken export from the south-east Asia region. The local market also suffered a serious slump.
"In the last one week there was a 40 per cent dip in the poultry consumption in the state," admitted N. Ajayan, a spokesman of the state animal husbandry department. But he was confident that good news was in the offing.
There are enough reasons for the sudden popularity of the Indian poultry. Not a single case of bird flu has been reported from India.
Nevertheless, on the first reckoning, it might seem strange that Kerala, which meets most of its chicken demand from Tamil Nadu supplies, should be the destination for the Iraqi delegation. Out of 262 lakh birds culled every year in the state, 250 lakh come from Tamil Nadu.
The reason for this marketing success lies in Kerala's rich tradition of processing marine food. It boasts of some of the best food-processing and packaging units in the country. For these units, preservation techniques are the same — whether it is chicken or fish.
Besides, with three international airports and a couple of seaports, transportation is not a problem.
The Iraqi delegation's visit is good news for chicken farmers and exporters. Many firms, which have been exporting canned chicken legs and breasts, suffered badly after several Gulf countries banned chicken export from the south-east Asia region. The local market also suffered a serious slump.
"In the last one week there was a 40 per cent dip in the poultry consumption in the state," admitted N. Ajayan, a spokesman of the state animal husbandry department. But he was confident that good news was in the offing.