KANNIYAKUMARI: After Kanniyakumari district administration and police tightened vigil against waste being transported from Kerala to Kanniyakumari district, owners of pig farms in the district struggle to take food wastes from the district to farms.
Pig poultry farm owners said that there are over 50 pig farms in the district, mostly at Kulasekaram, Arumanai and nearby areas. Most pigs in poultry farms are white pigs, which would mature in a year. A farm produces 50 to 200 pigs per year based on its capacity and sells them for meat inside the state but mostly to Kerala.
Dr D Lucka, a pig farm owner, said that he had been running a pig farm at Pinamthodu in Thirparappu town panchayat for over 10 years. "We are collecting food wastes from hotels, marriage halls and hostels from nearby areas and other parts of Kanniyakumari district, to feed the pigs. We cannot afford to feed the pigs otherwise," he said.
He noted that in the wake of waste from Kerala being dumped in Tamil Nadu becoming a issue, pig farms in the district are struggling to collect food wastes from inside the district and transport it to their pig farms. Hence, livelihood of farm workers is affected.
"We were collecting food wastes from Kulasekaram, Marthandam, Kuzhithurai and Arumanai," said another pig farm owner S Shaju of Manjalumoodu village panchayat. After he refused to pay a political party functionary, who demanded money to continue running the farm, he was finding it difficult to run the business, he added.
He urged authorities to allow licensed pig farms to take food wastes from the district to pig farms by setting up a pass system and fixing GPS to vehicles.
E Jebaraj of Arumanai town panchayat said, "We are struggling to get permission from different departments to run the pig farms. Higher authorities have to specify clear guidelines."
A senior district official said, "We are involved in making clear procedures for running pig farms. However, a veterinary doctor said that feeding food wastes to pigs in poultry farms was not advisable. The doctor said manufactured feed was available for pigs."
When TNIE contacted Kanniyakumari SP R Stalin, he said that transporting any type of wastes between interstate borders was not allowed. "Pig farms in the district should receive required permission and follow proper procedures from concerned departments to take food wastes from inside the district to their pig farms."