AMRAVATI, ANDHRA PRADESH — An intense, early-summer heatwave sweeping across the coastal and inland districts of Andhra Pradesh has created a major operational crisis for the state’s commercial broiler belt.
With ambient field temperatures consistently breaching 42°C to 46°C, independent poultry farms are facing a massive wave of heatstress-related bird mortality, upending the region’s production economics.
Epicenter: Mass Casualty Toll in the Godavari Belt
The combined East Godavari and West Godavari districts, which serve as the hub of Andhra Pradesh’s commercial egg and meat production, have borne the brunt of the climate anomaly. According to ground-level veterinary field reports and local industry registries
[EAST GODAVARI POULTRY DISRUPTION LOGS]
Active Industrial Layer Base ──► 1.2 Crore (12 Million) Standing Broiler Population
Estimated 4-Day Mortality ──► 4.18 Lakh to 20 Lakh Broilers Perished (2 Mn Broilers)
Immediate Capital Damage ──► Exceeding ₹54 Crore (540 Mn INR) in direct losses
Mortality Factor – Despite farm operators deploying intensive cooling measures—including high-pressure foggers, continuous rooftop thatch watering, and emergency vitamin C and electrolyte water dosing—the persistent overnight warmth has prevented birds from cooling down.
Broiler operations are seeing a massive drop in performance, with standard market weights falling from an average of 2.0 kg down to 1.5 kg in affected flocks. Dead birds are being buried in large, lime-treated deep pits to prevent secondary bacterial outbreaks like Colibacillosis.
Market Dynamics: Mass Over-Supply Slashed Spot Prices
The sudden spike in heatstroke risk has fundamentally disrupted short-term market dynamics across the Telugu states, shifting prices dramatically over a short window:
-
Early May Ceiling: In early May, a tightening lday old-chick supply had driven spot retail rates to seasonal highs, with chicken prices touching ₹270 to ₹300/kg in major urban centers like Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and adjacent Hyderabad.
-
Panic-Selling Wave: As temperatures crossed the critical 45°C threshold, small and mid-sized independent farmers realized that keeping market-ready, heavy broilers inside non-climate-controlled sheds would mean total loss. Farmers rushed to liquidate entire standing inventories simultaneously
-
Price Drop: This sudden wave of distress-selling completely flooded regional wholesale markets. The temporary gluts caused farmgate and retail broiler prices to plunge down to ₹190/kg, forcing growers to absorb massive losses below their baseline cost of production
State Intervention: Emergency Compensation Packages Activated
To prevent a cascade of farm bankruptcies and protect the regional livestock sector, the Andhra Pradesh State Government has stepped in with an emergency relief package.
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Framework – Agriculture and Allied Sectors Minister K. Atchannaidu announced a direct compensation pipeline for registered smallholders:
-
Scale: A baseline payout of ₹100 per dead bird has been established
-
Limits: Standard assistance is capped at ₹10,000 for up to 100 birds per farmer under primary animal husbandry protocols
-
Extended Buffer: For commercial operators facing catastrophic losses beyond this limit, additional relief dossiers are being processed through the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) following verified inspections by local veterinary officers
Concurrently, the state directed power distribution companies (DISCOMs) to guarantee uninterrupted electrical supply to poultry feeders, ensuring that essential ventilation and automated cooling systems remain functional during peak daylight hours.
