Bengal seeks pvt tie-up to hike egg haul

Kolkata: Bengal’s animal resources development department was seeking cooperation of private poultry players to fill up deficit in egg production in the state, said minister Swapan Debnath on Wednesday.Speaking at Merchant Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s animal husbandry and fisheries conclave on Wednesday, Debnath said, “The demand for eggs has gone up in our state, more because of midday meals and Integrated Child development Services (ICDS) centres. The state requires 1,440 crore eggs annually while the annual production is around 1,372 crore. We have to bring around 68 crore eggs from other states every year. If private poultry firm owners invest more for expansion of their units, we will be able to fill up the demand-supply gap by Dec.” State govt was also planning to increase fish production, said minister of state Biplab Roy Chowdhury and added that the fisheries department would train fish farmers of East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW) in scientific farming of shrimps and other species. EKW has 245 shallow fish ponds that produce 2.4 lakh quintals of fish daily. “We have already started training local youths in 21 districts in scientific fish production. The department has identified 12,749 waterbodies in the state for scientific fish farming,” the minister said.

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