Former India and CSK skipper MS Dhoni has received 2,000 chicks of the famous protein-rich ‘Kadaknath’ breed, an official said on Sunday. The order was placed with Vinod Meda, who runs the cooperative organisation associated with the production of Kadaknath in the Rundipada village of Jabra. All 2,000 Kadaknath chicks were sent to his farmhouse in Ranchi and were vaccinated, Meda told PTI.
He added that Dhoni’s manager told him to ensure the delivery as a facility for rearing chicks has been developed at the cricketer’s farmhouse.
The black Kadaknath chicken meat from the Jhabua district in Madhya Pradesh 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 hometown.
“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 IS Tomar said Dhoni had placed the order sometime back, but the chicks could not be supplied at that time due to the outbreak of bird flu. Meanwhile, 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.
