Poultry Profits and Pitfalls

Nepal's poultry sector has quietly become one of those rare good-news stories that don’t need exaggeration. It brings in about Rs 58 billion a year from broiler chicken sales alone. Add eggs, chicks, and manure, and the total value climbs even higher. More than 117 million broilers are raised each year, most sold within roughly 44 days when they reach about 2.6 kilos. For a country that struggles to scale up many industries, this is no small feat. The business has spread across 75 districts, with over 22,000 commercial farms in operation. Around 92 percent focus on meat, while a small share deal with eggs and chicks. Nearly 64,000 people earn their living from this sector. Bagmati leads production, while prices vary widely across provinces, with Karnali at the top and Madhesh at the bottom. Most farms are run by individuals, mostly men, and many operators fall in the 35–44 age group, suggesting this is not just a fallback job but a planned economic activity. The numbers also show scale and strain at the same time. The sector spends close to Rs 79 billion to generate its output. Feed alone accounts for nearly Rs 54 billion, which explains why farmers keep complaining about costs. Only a small fraction of farms are insured, and even among those who file claims, barely half get paid. Loans support over a third of farms, so risk is not theoretical—it sits right on the balance sheet.