Theme: Survive & Thrive in Difficult Times
The Poultry Federation of India (PFI) successfully organized its 36th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on the theme “Survive & Thrive in Difficult Times” at Ramada Hotel, Lucknow. The event brought together over 1000 delegates, including farmers, breeders, feed millers, integrators, equipment manufacturers, policymakers, veterinarians, scientists, solvent plant representatives, media professionals, and other stakeholders from across India and abroad, along with 99 sponsor organizations.
The AGM commenced with opening remarks by Mr. Ranpal Dhanda, President, Poultry Federation of India, who welcomed all participants and expressed his gratitude to the Department of Animal Husbandry, Government of India for their continued support to the poultry sector. Mr. Dhanda highlighted PFI’s vision for advancing India’s poultry sector and announced the Federation’s ambitious plan to establish four modern laboratories across India dedicated to enhancing quality standards, technological innovation, and the welfare of poultry farmers.
Following the President’s address, Mr. Ravinder Singh Sandhu, presented the PFI Annual Report (2024–25), detailing the Federation’s 40 key meetings conducted over the past year with government authorities, sector stakeholders, and policymakers. These initiatives focused on issues such as broiler rate stabilization, raw material quality, maize price and availability, and policy advocacy regarding the closure of meat shops during the Sawan month.
Mr. Sandhu also announced PFI’s strategic joint venture with VIV, a leading global exhibition organizer, to host “VIV Select India” — an international poultry sector exhibition scheduled for April 22–24, 2026, at Yashobhoomi Convention Centre, Dwarka, New Delhi, which aims to promote technological innovation and global collaboration in the Indian poultry sector.
Mr. Rahul Khatri presented the PFI Balance Sheet (2024–25), elaborating on the Federation’s financial performance and transparency. The session was followed by several technical and knowledge-sharing presentations on topics such as Global Exhibitions, Oil Quality, Raw Material Procurement, Biosecurity, Importance of Protein, Metabolic Syndromes, Innovation, and Glucose Oxidase.
A highly engaging panel discussion on “Viksit Bharat Mein Poultry Sector Ka Yogdan” was moderated by Dr. O.P. Chaudhary, Retd. Joint Secretary, DAHD, Government of India. Esteemed panelists — Mr. Ricky Thaper, Dr. Ajay Deshpande, Mr. Divya Kumar Gulati, Dr. Ajit Ranade, Mr. Mohan Reddy Kasarla, Dr. Sharad Singh, and Dr. Jatinder Paul Singh Gill — shared valuable insights on policy frameworks, market trends, and the future growth trajectory of India’s poultry sector.
The day concluded with the Bronze Sponsor Memento Distribution Ceremony, honoring 52 valued bronze sponsors, followed by a Vote of Thanks by Mr. Sanjeev Gupta, Vice President (HQ), PFI.
Day 2 Highlights
Day 2 featured distinguished guests including:
Hon’ble Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Fisheries & Dairying, Government of India (Chief Guest)
Shri Brijesh Pathak, Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister, Government of Uttar Pradesh
Shri Mahipal Dhanda, Hon’ble Minister of Education, Government of Haryana
Shri Sanjay R. Bhoosreddy, Chairman, Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority
In his keynote address, Mr. Ranpal Dhanda reiterated PFI’s demand for the implementation of HPAI vaccination in the poultry sector, citing heavy economic losses faced by farmers. He urged the government to form a committee comprising representatives from farmers, associations, departments, and experts to study and recommend actionable solutions.
Mr. Dhanda also emphasized the need to address challenges related to maize availability, quality, and pricing, pointing out that rising maize costs—driven by ethanol diversion—are affecting poultry feed production. He cited PFI’s successful initiative promoting modern maize farming across 1000 acres with 90 farmers, resulting in yields of 40–45 quintals per acre, compared to the traditional 10–15 quintals.
He further raised concerns about closure of poultry meat shops during the Sawan, requesting policy intervention from the Deputy Chief Minister, and advocated for the inclusion of poultry under the agriculture sector at the national level, similar to Maharashtra’s policy.
Mr. Vijay Sardana, renowned agri-economist, expanded on these issues, addressing the impact of religious closures on poultry trade, and highlighting challenges such as retail hygiene, export potential, rural employment, infrastructure gaps at Ghazipur market, and women empowerment.
Deputy Chief Minister Shri Brijesh Pathak assured that a joint meeting with senior officials and PFI representatives would soon be convened to frame concrete steps for poultry sector development.
Prof. (Dr.) P.K. Shukla, President, Indian Poultry Science Association, stressed the importance of eggs and chicken in combating malnutrition, especially among children, and emphasized the role of women and farmers’ empowerment.
Hon’ble Minister Shri Mahipal Dhanda called for a central-level poultry policy to ensure uniform implementation across states and addressed the issue of environmental challenges faced by poultry farmers.
Delivering his keynote, Hon’ble Chief Guest Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel remarked, “A healthy mind resides in a healthy body, and a healthy nation is built upon both — which cannot be achieved without eggs and chicken.” He reaffirmed that eggs are vegetarian, and one of the best sources of affordable protein. He expressed strong support for the formation of a National Poultry Development Board, assuring that such an institution could propel the sector far beyond its current valuation of ₹1.2 lakh crore, strengthening livelihoods for over 1.6 million people engaged in poultry farming.
A second panel discussion on “Surviving & Thriving in Difficult Times” was moderated by Mr. Anuj Khare, Editor, Aaj Tak, featuring eminent panelists including Mr. Ranpal Dhanda, Mr. Naveen Pasuparthy, Mr. Uday Singh, Mr. S.S. Lakra, Dr. Pawan Kumar, Dr. Pawan Singh, and Mr. Mohit Malik.
Expert presentations were delivered by:
Prof. (Dr.) P.K. Shukla on “Indian Poultry Sector: Policy Interventions for Sustainable Growth and Farmer Prosperity towards Viksit Bharat”
Dr. V.R. Tijare, General Manager, Venky’s (India) Ltd. on “Strategies to Promote Consumption of Chicken & Eggs”
Dr. P.S. Mahesh, Joint Commissioner & Director, CEAH, Bengaluru on “Disciplined Poultry Farming”
The AGM concluded with Super Platinum, Platinum, Diamond, Gold, and Silver Sponsor Memento Distributions, followed by the Vote of Thanks delivered by Mr. Ricky Thaper, Joint Secretary, PFI, who acknowledged the contributions of all sponsors, delegates, speakers, media and the PFI Executive Committee for making the 36th AGM a grand success.
