A New Role for India’s Project Directorate on Poultry

The Project Directorate on Poultry has now been given a higher mandate to take up research in all the field of poultry production, reports Dr T. Kotaiah of Indbro Research and Breeding Farms.

Mainly focusing on poultry breeding research since 1974 under different names, the new ‘Directorate of Poultry Research’ has widened its scope and will coordinate with the stakeholders in the poultry industry through a Public Private Partnership (PPP).

Dr Chatterjee, the first director of the institute, invited the industry leaders and the press to tell them that the institute will have a wider coverage in the fields of training and research and will be working in collaboration with private companies.

The institute has done pioneering work in developing crosses with high adaptability to suit the backyard poultry sector in India. It has also established seed multiplication centres in remote locations to make the stocks available to the last house in the area.

The scientists working in the institute have done a commendable job in eliminating vertically transmitted problems like ALV and Salmonella from their stocks and the clean stocks are open for use by the industry in PPP mode. The White Log Horn stocks developed under the guidance of the institute are proving to be very good layers.

The institute now offers training for personnel from the industry in all fields like disease diagnosis, serology, biotechnology and nutrition and is already equipped with the necessary laboratories, equipment and staff.

The institute is ready to undertake specific research work for any private company.

Two breeding companies and a feed additives company based in Hyderabad have been working with the institute on specific projects. The private institutions are happy doing this because of the very eminent advice available for them without employing highly paid experts for a specific project. The industry is keen to work upon the accuracy of diagnosis and use of correct vaccine on the farm among the available many types of vaccines for the same disease.

Already, two projects sponsored by the pharmaceutical companies have been concluded, which shed light on the prevalence of common problems among the farms all over India in the form of a sample survey.

The institute, while explaining its mandate to the industry, has also invited the industry to speak up about the industry’s challenges.

Dr T. Kotaiah, Managing Director of Indbro Research & Breeding Farms, has highlighted issues of disease diagnosis, vaccine evaluation, food safety, environment and welfare, which are being debated world over. This was followed by a discussion on whether initiatives that are being taken in other countries could be applied in India.

The growing poultry industry of India welcomes the Directorate of Poultry Research warmly, assures all the support and looks forward to a successful partnership.