Siblings Nitesh

Jayesh Patil

Nitesh Patil

Ganesan

Its meat is black, and it’s costlier than mutton. The famous Kadaknath breed of chicken from Madhya Pradesh, which till a few years ago was in the danger of being extinct, is now available at very select places on Mumbai’s outskirts.The Kadaknath chicken, whose organs including the beak are jet black, is priced between Rs 500 and Rs 600 per kg, which is costlier than mutton (around Rs 450 per kg), and way more expensive than desi chicken (Rs 260 per kg) and broiler (Rs 140 per kg). A single egg of the Kadaknath costs around Rs 30.The price is attributed to the purported health benefits the breed carries. Once reared exclusively by the tribal communities in Madhya Pradesh, the Kadaknath’s meat is highly prized as an aphrodisiacal delicacy.and, who rear the Kadaknath chicken at their farm in Shahapur, said they had bought 250 chicks from Madhya Pradesh in February this year, and have sold about 1,500 chickens in the last two months. Currently, the Kadaknath is available in Mumbra and Dombivali, and a few restaurants in the Thane-Dombivali- Mumbra belt. A restaurant in Thane’s Panch Pakhadi area sells the chicken for Rs 3,500 aplate.“I get 200 phone calls daily but I’m not able to supply everywhere because of transportation issues,”said. “Kadaknath is extremely healthy, and is known to infuse vigour. It is also a highly disease-resistant and a hardy bird,” he said.While Patil lists a range of health benefits, none of which have been medically certified, S Ganesan, assistant director-in-charge of the Central Poultry Development Organisation (Northern Region) believes it is certainly a healthier alternative to broiler chicken. “It has more protein, less fat and its meat contains less cholesterol than regular chicken,”was quoted as saying in a report.