Infertile hens stump farmers

No chickens to count

This year, the government-supplied chicks have turned out to be infertile as they have laid no eggs in the last seven months putting aspirations of poulty farmers on the back-burner.

All those who wanted to take up poultry farming in a big way are now puzzled what to do with the infertile hens handed over to them in June last.

A motley group of 50 farmers have complained to the Bihar government that the chicks they were provided by the government’s nodal agency — Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) — have turned out to be infertile. These chicks were provided to the beneficiaries with 90 per cent subsidy, but the hens have laid not a single egg so far.

“I was supplied 50 chicks in June 2010. With the passage of time, these chicks grew fatter and fatter but not one laid a single egg. We have lost faith in government schemes which encourages poultry farming,” rued a farmer from Purnia, Suman Choudhary. “Normally, a hen produces 250 eggs a year.”

The infertility syndrome has caught the ATMA members too unawares. At a meeting of ATMA with the officials of Animal Husbandry and Agriculture Department, an expert Rajesh Kumar argued that a scientific investigation should be conducted among hens in Kosi region to get to the bottom of the ‘infertility syndrome.’

Deputy Project Director of ATMA, Purnia, HM Mishra, has, meanwhile, ordered a ‘thorough analysis’ of the vexed issue.  “Once we get the detailed report, we will discuss the matter threadbare,” opined Mishra.