Million of investment loss in poultry sector of nepal due to lockdown.

Poultry entrepreneurs in the Tanahun district are facing a crisis due to the government-imposed blockade to minimize the spread of COVID-19. According to poultry farmers, the lack of grain for the poultry sector has affected production and the blockade has affected sales of poultry products. Most of the district's farmers have sold their chickens at heavy losses.

Krishna Prasad Pudasaini, a local poultry farmer from Yamphat, Bandipur has 3,000 broilers on his farm. He had raised those chickens for 60 days, but due to the closure, it has become difficult for him to sell them. According to Pudasaini, he has sold the hens for Rs 90 per kilogram by enduring large losses, since he has not required grains to feed the hens.

Chickens have started to die from starvation. They cannot all be put on the field. It is better to sell them bearing losses rather than seeing them in this condition, Pudasaini said. Before the blockade, Pudasaini had sold chicken from Rs 175 to Rs 260 per kilogram. Pudasaini is also a supplier of chicks and grains and faces a loss of Rs 1 million due to the blockade.

 The market is closed. After the closure began, grain producers stopped providing grain on credit, Pudasaini said. Suppliers have not collected the chickens and we are forced to sell for a loss.

Poultry farmers raising laying hens for egg production also face a similar financial crisis due to the blockade. According to Madan Thakuri, owner of Thakuri Poultry Farm, he has been forced to store eggs on his farm for the past two weeks. Three years ago, Thakuri had quit his job abroad to start poultry farming in his country. He has 5,500 chickens on his farm.

 Chicken grains are bought after I sell the eggs. But eggs don't sell, so I can't buy chicken grains right now. In this situation, it is difficult to raise these chickens, Thakuri said. According to Thakuri, his Rs 8 million investment is at risk and the eggs cannot be stored for a longer period as the weather warms up. Eggs will rot if stored longer. It is difficult to get them to market due to the blockade, Thakuri said.

Tanahun farmers raise local chickens, layers and chickens on their farms. Due to the closure, all meat shops, hotels, and restaurants in the district are closed.