Demand, price for Jhabua's Kadaknath chicken firm up ahead of Madhya Pradesh polls

Jhabua: With the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections just around the corner, the demand and price of Kadaknath chicken, known for its protein-rich and low-fat meat, have increased in Jhabua.

Madhya Pradesh will go to polls on November 17, and the counting of votes will take place on December 3.

Talking to PTI, Dr Chandan Kumar, a scientist at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in Jhabua, said, "The winter season has started and it is time for elections. In such a situation, the demand for Kadaknath has increased by 30 to 40 per cent.” Poultry farm operators across the country turn to Jhabua for purebred chickens of the Kadaknath breed, he said.

The breed, whose black meat is in high demand, also has a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

Sudhanshu Shekhar, the CEO of Sara Seva Sansthan Samiti, an NGO working to conserve the purity of the breed, said two farmer-producer organisations (FPOs) run by his outfit have seen a surge in their business this election.

"Due to the rise in demand during the elections, the price of an adult chicken of Kadaknath breed has gone up to Rs 1,200-Rs 1,500 from the earlier Rs 800-1,200," he said, adding that the supply also had to be enhanced in keeping with the present scenario.

Jhabua has a large population of the Bhil tribe, for whom chicken is an integral part of the diet and economy. Tribals have a tradition of sacrificing hens during different rituals as they believe it will please gods, goddesses and their ancestors. Called "Kalamasi" in the local dialect, the skin, feathers, and meat of Kadaknath chicken are black.

A live bird of the Kadaknath breed, its eggs and meat are more expensive than other chicken varieties.

According to experts, compared to other breeds of chicken, a Kadaknath chicken's black meat is low in fat and cholesterol but is rich in protein.

In 2018, the Geographical Indications Registry of the country registered a geographical identification (GI) mark in the name of Kadaknath chicken in the category of "meat products and poultry and poultry meat".