Indias poultry breeders import maize

13 May 1999

India’s poultry breeders import maize

POULTRY breeders and animal feed makers in India have been forced to import maize because of a rise of almost 45% in the domestic price of the crop.

The rise has been triggered by a fall in Indian maize production to 10.75 million tonnes this year against agriculture ministry forecasts of 12m tonnes.

The National Egg Co-ordination Committee is to import “feed grain maize” for distribution among poultry farmers who have seen their costs rise.

Manufacturers of starch and some other industrial users of maize are pushing the government for permission to import maize.

The Indian Maize Development Association lists “more than 1,000 industrial uses of the crop”.

• Financial Times 13/05/99 page 40