Guwahatians will be getting free home delivery of dressed broiler chicken from Thursday onwards, the move coming as a huge relief to the poultry industry which is in turmoil because of the lockdown.

The sale of dressed broiler chicken has been promoted and approved by the Assam Livestock Development Agency (ALDA).

However, no such notification regarding sale of chicken or meat has been issued by the Kamrup (metro) district administration.

Officials at ALDA told The Telegraph that a high-level meeting was held at Dispur on Monday and sale of chicken meat online was decided.

ALDA has roped in city-based private firm Nature Products for slaughtering and online delivery of dressed broiler chicken.

“Only online delivery is available and people are not allowed to go to the premises of the firm following basic rule of social distancing. We will rope in more firms if all criteria meet our demands. A firm with a proper set-up is preferable. We are focusing high-level hygiene and standard,” the official said.

Sale of chicken up to 1kg is fixed at Rs 230, chicken weighing uoto 1.5kg at Rs 300, extra large chicken up to 2kg has been fixed at Rs 430. Over 100 orders have been placed at the firm on Thursday.

Assam’s poultry industry is in “crisis” because of the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of novel coronavirus for scarcity of feed as mills and retail stores were closed and transportation was barred for the first 10 days.

Assam Poultry Association claimed in the first 10 days of lockdown around one crore chicken died in the state as farmers were not getting poultry feed.

“All the poultry farms are located in remote areas of Assam, especially in lower Assam. Due to the lockdown, villagers started blocking roads barring entry of vehicles which barred carrying feed to the farms. Plying of vehicles of feed for animals was allowed recently and it was late as already around one crore live chickens have died,” said Mridul Kumar Borah, executive president of the All Assam Poultry Farmers’ and Traders’ Association.

He said transportation was a major problem and was affecting feed stock and farmers. “To load animal feed on a vehicle, we need labourers and they are not to be found because of the lockdown.”

The weekly production of chicks in Assam is 25 lakh.

The retail prices of broiler chicken across the markets of Assam will rise sharply as only the state has only 30-40 lakh live chicken which can be sold only for three days, the farmers indicated.

The association also opposed sale of live chicken as social distancing could not be maintained in the process. “We urge the government to allow door-to-door packaged delivery of meat,” Bora said.

Guwahati usually needs 30,000kg to 40,000kg for local consumption per day.