JOIN USReputed nationwide for the quality of its stocks, the Centre for Poultry Development Organisation (CPDO) and Training Institute in Hesarghatta has been hit hard by the avian flu outbreak. Reduced virtually to zero activity after culling of the entire stock, the Institute now awaits fresh certification declaring it safe for further operations.
CPDO was set up in the 1960s as the Central Poultry Breeding Farm. Its primary objective was to develop and multiply high producing layer stocks, broiler stocks and turkey stocks.
The Institute’s purview was extended to cover ducks in the early 1990s with technical collaboration from the Government of UK. The intention was to introduce high-yielding variety of ducks for the farming community.
Then came the quails and emus, an emu farm and an ostrich was also brought in to breed. It housed six brooder houses, two rearing houses, one testing house, 16 breeding houses and three laying houses. Then came turkeys in 1997. Turkey breeding was a small pilot unit. From 1997 to 2004, the systematic approach of “turkey activities” led to good progress and created a good market in a short period.
A market study shows that a male turkey sold at 24 weeks of age weighing 10 to 12 kg with expenditure of Rs 400 to 450 will give a profit of Rs 500 to 600. Likewise, a female will give a profit of Rs 300 to 400 in a span of 24 weeks time. Besides, the turkey can be reared in scavenging and semi–scavenging conditions also.
Incidentally, every poultry breeder and meat seller around Hesarghatta relied on the birds, eggs and meat from this centre, while the birds and eggs were in high demand across the country. However everything now has become a history as the flu has been wiped out every single bird here and the present situation will be unaltered for next three months.