In our journey we visited many faces with our poultry Sector legends, and one among them is Mr. Shabbir Ahmad Khan Poultry Advisory and Technical Services (PATS) Tropical Institute of Livestock Management and Health (TILMAH)
1. Are you originally from Gurgaon?
Gurgaon is my Karambhoomi, though I belong to Faizabad (Ayodhya), Uttar Pradesh where I’m currently residing after spending 58 blissful years in Gurgaon.
2. What is the best thing you like in your journey?
My journey began from Rani shaver poultry breeding farm, where I started my professional career with managing grandparent stock. This company was associate of Shaver’s Canada, where chairman was Major General RN Nehra – where I learnt army discipline and hard work. Later I moved to Kegg Farms, the first pure line breeding operation in India as Manager Customer Service Division, where I gathered experience and confidence, working with Late Thakur Ram Avatar Singh, Mr. Shashi Kapur and Chairman Mr. Vinod Kapur. These embarking years of my journey and the learning experience I amassed were the highlights of my career.
3. What is the right motivation you like in the journey from starting till now?
Working with urban and rural, big and small farmers, solving their problems and getting back their smiles, fires my enthusiasm. Generally, I used to solve their problems with modern technology, combined with old technology. Mostly I get motivation from the resistant journey of farmers in India.
4. Why did you choose the Poultry / Livestock profession?
From my childhood I was fascinated with poultry birds, that my late mother kept in a small shed for consumption purpose – different varieties like White, brown and black Leghorn, RIR, New Hampshire, desi birds, etc. I was drawn to poultry profession due to my early interest in bird; but I also saw potential to produce cheapest healthy protein rich food for a deficient population. At the same time, I wanted to contribute towards the opportunity poultry gave to millions of people to generate livelihood, especially a secondary supplementary livelihood for low income farmers and to supplement their efforts.
5. As compared to other big players in the industry, how is your organization different?
My organization is very small. Poultry Advisory and Technical Services (PATS) provides services to small and big farmers for their day-to-day management and solving their problems including diseases.
Tropical Institute of Livestock Management and Health (TILMAH) provides poultry training to different sections and conducts trials for pharmaceutical companies. So there is no need of comparassion.
6. Please tell us about your family.
My family consists of myself and my wife (MA Med) – a great support to me as house wife and same time she is a known social-worker of Gurugaon. Two sons – both were in merchant navy. Elder son is settled in Malaysia with wife and two kids. The younger one is settled in Faizabad (Ayodhya) with wife and my granddaughter & grandson. Now he is running his own poultry farm, following my footsteps.
7. What do you think about your organisation’s roadmap of next 5 years?
In next couple of years, I am planning to train literate and illiterate young boys for different poultry jobs as industry needs skilled labour force for its growth. At the same time I want to train multi-purpose supervisors.
8. What is your message to the next generation entering in this business?
My suggestion to young professionals working in the field – to be honest towards their profession. Don’t overload the birds with medication. You have to learn the language of birds, they give every sign of their misery and problem – be it thirsty, hungry, cold, hot, sick or under stress.
Humble suggestion to them – respect seniors like Dr. R.N. Sreenivas Gouda, Dr. Chandrashekhar, Dr. V Ram Subah Reddy, Dr. Rama Rao, Dr. Prajapati. They are very experienced people, do not feel shy to consult them.
9. What is your favorite eatery food?
I love to eat chicken and Biryani, Nihari and chicken kebabs. I particularly enjoy Gujarati, Kashmiri, Bengali and Madrasi cuisine and seafood.
10. What are your hobbies?
I like to read poultry research papers, see it translate into practical life and write articles for the benefit of farmers. I also like do some social-work and Gardening.
11. Any remarks you would like to add?
The fact that theory and practical is learnt from two different sources. Theory we learn in classroom and practical, we learn in field from small and big farmers. Remember I will be learning and transmitting till I go to my grave.