MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Friday sought report from the state government on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought steps to ensure strict compliance of the mandatory feed withdrawal regulations in all poultry farms across the state.
The litigant A Raj Mohammed, who runs a poultry shop in Pudukkottai, stated that as per international guidelines and findings of the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) studies, feed should not be given to chicken 20 to 24 hours prior to their slaughter.
However, several poultry farms force-feed broiler birds right up to the moment of loading them into transport vehicles to inflate their weight, he alleged.
“While the feed cost is only approximately `30 -`40 per kilogram, the unabsorbed feed inside the bird is sold to traders and consumers at the chicken meat price of `100 to `120 per kilogram, resulting in loss to public,” he added.
Moreover, transporting birds with full stomachs also leads to fecal dumping in crates, creating unhygienic conditions and posing serious health risks, he further said. Though the traders’ federation gave detailed representations in this regard, no effective monitoring or enforcement mechanism has been instituted so far, he added.
A bench of justices CV Karthikeyan and R Sakthivel told the director of animal husbandry and commissioner of food safety to file reports and posted case to September 8.