THRISSUR: Poultry traders in the district are incensed over the direction of Finance Minister Thomas Isaac to sell chicken at a cost of Rs 87 per kg in the state. Speaking to reporters, a Poultry Farmers and Traders Samithi representative said broiler chicken brought from Tamil Nadu at a cost of Rs 110 per kg, cannot be sold at a lower price.
Shaji Mullakari, vice president, Poultry Farmers and Traders Samithi said farmers who rear chickens incur a cost of Rs 85 and adding the logistics expenses, the overall cost escalates to about Rs 100 or more. The retailers further add to the cost. It is impossible to sell chicken at Rs 87. The expense of rearing includes purchasing of chicks at Rs 50 per chick, feed costing Rs 30 per kg, medicine costing Rs 6 and electricity and other expenses. This will eventually take the cost to above Rs 100. There are over 8 lakh people whose livelihood depends directly or indirectly on the poultry farms. Such pricing will only destroy the poultry business.
It can only be seen as an effort to help the poultry lobby in Tamil Nadu to sell their products in the state, he said.
He said the Broiler Coordination Committee (BCC) in Palladam near Coimbatore decides the rates of chicken for Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
There are no facilities in the state to produce good quality chicks and it is still brought from TN. In such circumstances, the Finance Minister’s statement to sell chicken at Rs 87 has posed a challenge to the farmers. He said going ahead with this price would mean closing down all the businesses in the state and depending totally on the TN lobby.