Broilers’ Supply Value Chain in the National Capital Region Delhi: A Case Study of Ghazipur Poultry Market

The marketing of broilers/chicken meat in the National Capital Region (NCR) Delhi has been compared in two distinct kinds of markets, viz. organized (shopping malls, organized multi-product retailers) and unorganized or primarily wet markets (exclusive chicken dressers, poultry meat retailers, etc.). Data have been collected from various functionaries involved in marketing of broilers/poultry meat in the NCR Delhi during the year 2008-09 through primary survey. The most prominent channel in the unorganized broiler market has been found as: Producer-Wholesaler- Dresser-cum-Retailers –Consumer, whereas the same in the organized market as Producer - Commission agent- Supplier-Distributor- Shopping Malls/ Hotels/ Retailer-Consumer. The marketing cost, marketing margins, price spread and producers’ share in consumers’ rupee, in the most efficient unorganized marketing channel have been found as Rs 10480, Rs 30220, Rs 40700 per tonne (live wt. basis) and 62 per cent, respectively, whereas the corresponding figures in the most efficient organized marketing channel were Rs 12750, Rs 76350, Rs 88500 per tonne and 43 per cent. The wholesale regulated poultry market at Ghazipur was the key supply centre for chicken in the NCR Delhi. The average daily arrival in the poultry market has been found over one lakh broilers accounting for about 50 per cent sales in Delhi. Over 70 per cent of the broilers at Ghazipur Poultry Market are manually dressed. The manual poultry processing has provided direct employment to nearly 5000 workers. The manual dressing of broilers has resulted in value addition of about 50 per cent on live weight basis and production of over 20 chicken meat products/ by-products. The study has also assessed the pros and cons of manual dressing of broilers vis-à-vis mechanical processing and has estimated the cost of processing in the two systems. It has been observed that manual dressing of broilers is not only cheaper but also provides employment and livelihood to a large number of illiterate and/ or semi-skilled workers. Hence, the study has suggested to improve and organize the manual dressing system so that the qualitative aspects and concerns about health and hygiene could also be addressed. Erratic power supply, long power cuts, lack of refrigerated transportation facility, poor monitoring of food safety and quality norms in manual processing, rampant corruption in transportation of live chickens, etc. have been identified as the major constraints in marketing of broilers/chicken meat in the NCR Delhi.