During the past 15 years poultry production, which for many centuries has been a backyard venture in the countries of southern Asia, has shown faster growth than other sectors of the livestock industry. As an example, India – which has emerged as a leading country in terms of the development of its poultry industry – has reached almost total self-sufficiency in its poultry sector inputs. Over these 15 years, annual egg production in India has trebled to 15 225 million while broiler production has increased 24-fold to 95 million. By the year 2000, annual egg production is expected to reach 30 000 million and broiler production, 400 million, a scale of output that will require a national laying flock of 135 million, 450 million broiler chicks and 7.5 million tonnes of poultry feed. In addition to stimulating the expansion of poultry production, many countries in the region have embarked upon ambitious programmes aimed at improving small-scale poultry keeping as a means of helping to bring socio-economic benefits to rural communities. In much of southern Asia there are major obstacles to the rapid development of poultry production which include the high cost of feed, the lack of suitable health care facilities and frequently the absence of efficient marketing structures. In spite of such constraints, poultry production in the region will continue to grow in response to an increasing demand for eggs and poultry meat.