KATHMANDU, Dec 3: Poultry farmers have said that import of poultry products was affecting their business. 

Though Nepal has put a ban on import of poultry products, they claimed that some middlemen were importing poultry products from India and selling them in the local market at cheaper prices. 

Speaking at an interaction organized jointly by Nepal Poultry Farmers Association and Nepal Poultry Market Management Association in Lalitpur on Monday, poultry farmers lamented at the lack of government support for poultry farmers and feed producers.

They added that some traders are bringing poultry products from India and sending them to major markets of the country, taking advantage of porous border.

Janak Poudel, chairperson of Nepal Poultry Farmers Association, said many farmers are being displaced from poultry sector as they are not getting good returns from their investment. "Middlemen are selling poultry products imported from India. As we cannot compete in price, poultry farmers are facing huge loss," he added.

Representatives of poultry farmers from across the country said that poultry farmers were not getting subsidy, easy financing and training which have affected their business. 

"The price of poultry products in India is very low compared to Nepal. This is because farmers there get different subsidy and benefits and also because price of feed is very low there," Dipendra Shrestha, the promoter of Poultry Nepal, said. "Middlemen bring Indian poultry products through tarai districts. Import them in cold storage facilities, and supply them to major markets of the country."

According to the association, commercial poultry farming is done in 66 districts of Nepal and that the sector employs around 250,000 people. 

Parshuram Basnet, a poultry farmer from Gorkha district, requested the government to control illegal imports of poultry products from India. "Our production is sufficient to meet the demand in the market. We don't need to import poultry products from India or other countries," he added.

 
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