Consumption patterns, economic priorities, and nutritional security in backyard poultry farming: A study in the drought-prone districts of Andhra Pradesh

Backyard poultry farming has a significant impact on rural livelihoods, providing both economic and potential nutritional benefits. However, the extent to which poultry products contribute to household nutritional security depends on their allocation between self-consumption and economic utilisation. Hence, there is a need to study the gap between dietary consumption and alternative uses of backyard poultry products. The present study was conducted in the Anantapur and Satya Sai districts of Andhra Pradesh, India, to investigate the production, consumption, and distribution patterns of backyard poultry products (eggs and meat), along with the factors influencing their allocation and rural farmer’s perceptions of poultry rearing on household nutritional security. The study revealed that among the total eggs produced, only 20% of the eggs were consumed, while 53% were sold and 27% were allocated for hatching. There was a higher rate of consumption of chicken meat than eggs, with 67% of the total chickens raised being consumed within the households; however, it, remained insufficient as a regular dietary component to ensure meaningful nutritional security. Despite low consumption levels, 62.5% of households perceive backyard poultry as having a positive impact on food security, indicating that there is a mismatch between perceptions of food security and actual consumption of backyard poultry products, highlighting the need for communication on behaviour change to enhance consumption and improve household nutrition in rural areas.