THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the pandemic has spelt doom for the poultry industry, a humble initiative by Kudumbashree in association with the animal husbandry department is making ripples. Ever since the launch of its outlets in June 2020, Kerala Chicken has struck a chord with the masses and its 50th outlet was launched recently. Officials said that it has elicited a overwhelming response from customers.
The initiative attempts to provide antibiotic-free, fresh chicken to the public. As part of this, quality broiler chicken meat is sold at reasonable price. The Kudumbashree Broiler Farmers’ Producer Company Limited (KBFPCL) spearheads the mission. Under this, day-old chicks are being given to Kudumbashree beneficiaries who raise them in their farms.
The chicks are handed over to the outlets once they reach 45 days of age.
These outlets are also run by Kudumbashree beneficiaries and they sell the fresh meat. “We have noticed a huge demand for the product. On an average, at the 20 outlets put together, the requirement is as high as 20,000 birds per week. We had earlier assumed that it will be just around 7,000. Our target is to set up 20 farms and 40 outlets in each district,” said a KBFPCL official. The Kerala Chicken has other stakeholders as well, such as the Kerala State Poultry Development Corporation (Kepco), Meat Products of India Ltd (MPI), and Brahmagiri Development Society through which chicken is being sold.
Antibiotic-free
The signature feature of Kerala Chicken is its traceability. No antibiotics are used on the chicks unless it is an emergency.The customers include restaurant owners as well as individuals.