Major Issues for Sustainable Poultry Sector in Nepal: A REVIEW

Abstract

Poultry sector is an emerging industry in Nepal with two distinct pattern of poultry production—intensive and scavenging. The scavenging poultry is widely prevalent in the rural areas and nearly 45% of total poultry population comprises of native flock and 55% of poultry birds accounts of commercial poultry (CBS 2012). In response to meet the urban demand for meat and egg, commercial poultry production is growing rapidly by more than three times in recent years (from 1985 to 2014). Poultry offers major advantages over other enterprises due to its low cost protein source, low generation interval, complementary role of poultry on other farming practices. In spite of its' potentiality, competition with human and other animal food sources, high cost of production, new disease challenges, low technical efficiency, lack of genetic improvement of economic traits of local breeds, adverse climatic condition due to climate change and unstable market for egg and meat are creating the major problem for sustainability. These constraints should be addressed with on farm research involving the middle class poultry producer along with others entrepreneurs with diversification of poultry industry, semi-intensive poultry farming , effective quarantine, adoption of low cost technology, food safety and food security with equal participation of stakeholders. Special emphasis should be given on research of locally feasible production technology, suitable poultry breeds and management. It gives new dimension towards poultry farming program in different clusters of Nepal. Moreover participatory response of poultry entrepreneur to program with priority to disease investigation, eradication and escorting poultry industry would be valuable.