The Hudhud cyclone which hit Visakhapatnam on Sunday has caused losses to the extent of Rs 500 crore in terms of bird loss as well as damage to infrastructure, according to V. Sunder Naidu, the president of Andhra Pradesh Poultry Federation.
He said here on Friday that "there are about 75 lakh birds in the poultry farms of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam, of which as many as 35 lakh perished in the cyclone". He said the cyclone had hit every poultry farmer hard. He said the roofs of poultry farms were blown away and the birds were exposed to the fury of Hudhud. Both the layer and broiler segments of the sector suffered badly.
He said both the State and Union Governments should rescue the poultry farmers, as most of the poultry farms were uninsured. The farmers should be given working capital loans and fresh term loans to restart the poultry farms. The insurance claims should be settled promptly and the State Government should remove VAT on poultry equipment and cages. Power should be restored to the poultry farms on a priority basis, he added.
He appealed to the hatcheries, feed manufacturers, feed ingredient suppliers, equipment manufacturers and vaccine manufacturers to go to the rescue of the poultry farmers in the 3 north-coastal districts of AP in the hour of crisis.
sarma.rs@thehindu.co.in