06 Jan 2026

Urging Indian government’s sustained financial and policy support for boosting feed supplies & infrastructure development for the poultry sector in the Union Budget (2026-27)

There should be support provided by the government to ensure that feed at reasonable prices is available throughout the year.

Ricky Thaper

Joint Secretary of the Poultry Federation of India

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The poultry sector has become a crucial part of the agricultural landscape, playing a critical role in the Indian economy, job creation and food security. Indian poultry industry in 2025-26 has grown at a steady pace with robust demand.

India ranks as the second-largest egg producer and the fifth-largest broiler meat producer globally. The size of the poultry industry reached a market size of over USD 30.46 billion and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.10% over the next decade. This growth has given a boost by factors such as rising protein demand, urbanization and increased consumption of poultry products.

There is also a surge in corn demand for ethanol production that has started to influence prices and correspondingly the feed cost. The poultry industry, like other agricultural sectors, is subject to the supply and demand scenario, market structures and the role of government policies.

Expectation from the poultry industry

The poultry industry’s expectation from the forthcoming budget to be presented by the Honorable Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, 2026 (for 2026-27), is that there should be support provided by the government to ensure that feed at reasonable prices is available throughout the year and the government must formulate a long-term strategy keeping into consideration rising demand of poultry products on feed supplies.

Especially the poultry industry expects measures boosting supplies of corn and soybean meal, the key ingredients in the poultry feed. While the government must initiate steps to increase production, import liberalization should be given thrust so that the cost of production of the poultry sector remains stable.

As done a few years back for soybean meal, the government must allow import of genetically modified (GM) soybean meal and corn so that the poultry industry is assured of raw material supplies for the feed in a cost effective and sustainable manner.

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The GM soybean or soybean meal and corn imports should be allowed with a fixed quota during off or non-harvesting season here so that it does not adversely impact the farmers’ price realization. Reduction in import duties on these ingredients in the poultry feed should be announced soon.

Extension of the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund

The government has been extending the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund being implemented under the Infrastructure Development Fund, thrust on providing financial incentives to poultry feed plants, breeding farms, layer farms, hatcheries and poultry meat processing units. This should continue to boost the growth in poultry.

Robust framework for disease control

Robust framework for disease control amongst poultry birds should be given priority in the budget announcement of the finance minister.

During the current years, there were a few reports of an outbreak of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) across a few states which is a major challenge to the growth of the sector. Therefore, the government should allow the import of vaccines for the disease also.

Creation of cold storage infrastructure

The creation of cold storage infrastructure at the retail level should be encouraged to harness the growth potential of the poultry sector.

Accordingly providing soft loans for boosting value addition in the industry is the need of the hour so that the wet markets upgraded with cold storage facilities should be an integral part of the forthcoming budget.

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