TS Govt encourages SHGs to venture into country chicken farming in Asifabad

the government is mulling to encourage members of self-help groups to venture into country chicken poultry farming in Kumram Bheem Asifabad

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: In an effort to provide a viable business opportunity to rural folks, the government is mulling to encourage members of self-help groups to venture into country chicken poultry farming in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district soon.

It is collaborating with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Watershed Support Services and Activities Network (WASSAN), a national-level resource support organization to implement the initiative.

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Rearing country chickens has been the livelihood of the people living in the rural parts of the country for quite a long time. Around 70 percent of rural folks depend on this profession as per a recent study carried out by the union animal husbandry department. But, the occupation is declining fast with the advent of hybrid chicken birds.

In order to revive the age-old livelihood, the state government is planning to promote the indigenious chicken poultry farming as a small-scale industry. It is going to introduce the initiative by associating with HAL for the first time and WASSAN, which has already worked with Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA)-Utnoor and Integrated Children Development Scheme (ICDS) in implementing various schemes in the district.

The district administration entered into an agreement with HAL and the resource support organization to take up the project recently. Proposals have been prepared to set up 1,000 units at an estimated cost of Rs 2.5 crore in this year. Six poultry farms will be established in the district and 1,000 members of self-help groups are going to be given the 100 birds each, according to officials concerned.

Each unit will be sanctioned a loan of Rs 25,000 under the project. Similarly, self-groups that are interested in entering into this field will be provided with a loan up to Rs 3 lakh. They will be trained and supported by HAL and WASSAN in rearing the chickens. The members of the self-help groups, mostly tribals, are going to be benefitted from the innovative initiative.

In a welcoming sign, people are showing interest in shifting to consuming country chickens over the hybrid birds. It may be recalled that self-groups of the district won plaudits from many by making profits by successfully running a millet processing unit and operating a mobile digital theatre in district headquarters.