Chitwan, June 12:

Nepal has recently started exporting eggs and chicken to Bhutan.

"National Breeder has recently started exporting eggs to Bhutan," said Guna Chandra Bista, president of Nepal Hatchery Association (NHA) and executive chairman of Avinash Group of Poultry Industries that is the first hatchery of Nepal.

Nepal is self-dependent on chicken and egg. Since the domestic production exceeds the consumption, it is started to be exported also. "Nepal had been self -dependent on eggs and chicken since last 10 years," he said, adding that it saves five to seven billion rupees. But he complained that they are forced to cut down the production to 60 per cent due to rumours of bird flu.

"The industry that has an investment of around Rs 13 billion needs a strong Poultry Policy. It is also one of the sectors that contributes handsomely to the GDP," he said. Government needs to bring a clear national policy to promote this business. "Due to unclear policy growth of the sector has stalled," he added.

"We do not have Avian Policy and 20 to 30 per cent of investment in the poultry farm is

on live avian so there is no safety of our investment," an Osho deciple-turned-entrepreneur Bista, who is also known as Swami Krishnananda Bharati said.

Nepal used to consume Rs 17 billion worth chicken in 2001. But it is reduced to around

Rs 12.75 billion at present, he said adding, ‘still domestic demand is around 0.2 million to 0.25 million chicken per day.’

"The demand of egg is rising by two per cent every year," he said, adding that the broiler chicken market is expanding by 10 to 12 per cent. "It can expand more, if we have slaughter house," he added.

Valley cold store is planning a slaughter-house that may help increase productivity and at the same time decrease price of chicken. He thinks that the business has more potential to increase as it is affordable and considered nutrition for the poor.

The hatchery industry employs around 80,000 people directly and around three times more indirectly. "But it needs the government backing for sustainability," he added.

Out of the total 80,000 people involved in the business 35 per cent are in Chitwan only. Chitwan has 55 per cent contribution In poultry business, whereas in hatchery Chitwan contributes 45 per cent.

Nepal is self-dependent on chicken feed also. "Not only that Nepal exports chicken feed worth Rs 300 million to Rs 350 million," said Anada Bagaria, director of Pro Bio-Tech Industries, the largest Nepali chicken feed producer under Shakti brand.

Nepal has many feed manufacturing units that have capacity upto 50,000 metric tonnes of production.