In a sign of defiance, poultry farmers and traders have refused to toe the government line on the pricing of chicken. A section of traders have resolved to recommence chicken sales at a price they fixed, if the government failed to evolve a consensus within a few days.
The office-bearers of the Poultry Farmers and Traders Association of Kerala told a press conference on Monday that a directive of Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac to sell chicken at ₹87 a kg was “illogical” and could not be accepted at any cost. They also questioned the legal validity of the instruction.
President Maitheen Picha Rawther said the production cost came to around ₹90 per kg of chicken. Taking into consideration various expenses, including that for transportation, a retail price of ₹135 was necessary to ensure decent returns for the farmers, who were forced to shell out large amounts for purchasing poultry feeds.
“With the livelihood of numerous people affected, we are left with no option but to reopen our shops and conduct business at ₹135 a kg. The traders will seek police protection if they face any sort of untoward incidents,” he said.
S.S. Rajamouli, the farmers’ representative on the association, said there was an increased demand for chicken in Tamil Nadu as 60% of the farms had been closed owing to water shortage and humid conditions. Poultry farmers in Kerala would be compelled to sell chicken to traders in Tamil Nadu, where farmers received ₹115 for every kg sold, he said.
They added that the government was playing into the hands of corporate giants, who sold dressed chicken at exorbitant rates as high as ₹250 a kg.
