A cooperative based in Madhya Pradesh has sent 2,000 chicks of the famous protein-rich 'Kadaknath' breed to a farm at Ranchi in Jharkhand following an order placed by former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, an official said on Sunday.
The black Kadaknath chicken meat from Jhabua district of MP got the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2018 after a legal battle with Chhattisgarh. The tag denotes that the product comes from a particular geographical area, and often enhances its commercial value.
This chicken, its eggs and meat are sold at a higher rate than the other breeds.
Jhabua Collector Somesh Mishra told PTI that 2,000 'Kadaknath' chicks ordered by Dhoni from a local cooperative were on Friday sent in a vehicle to Ranchi, the cricketer's home town.
"It is a welcome step that a popular personality like Dhoni has shown interest in the Kadaknath chicken variety. Anyone can order these hatchlings through the online mode, which will benefit tribal people (breeding this chicken) in the district," Mishra said.
Jhabua's Krishi Vigyan Kendra chief Dr I S Tomar said Dhoni had placed the order sometime back, but the chicks could not be supplied that time due to the outbreak of bird flu.
Dhoni had placed the order with Vinod Meda, who runs the cooperative organisation associated with the production of Kadaknath in Rundipada village of Jhabua.
All 2,000 Kadaknath chicks sent to Ranchi are vaccinated, Meda told PTI, adding that Dhoni's manager had told him to ensure the delivery as a facility for rearing chicks has been developed at the cricketer's farm house.
Meda said he will also present a traditional bow and arrow to Dhoni as a symbol of Jhabua's tribal culture.
The MP government had launched a Kadaknath app in 2018 so that people can order the chicks through the online mode, he added.
According to Tomar, a one-day old Kadaknath hatchling costs nearly Rs 75, while 15-day and 28-day-old chicks cost Rs 90 and Rs 120, respectively.
