KOCHI/KOZHIKODE: With birds starving to death in large numbers due to shortage of feed, poultry farmers are knocking on the government’s doors in a desperate bid to save the broilers. With Tamil Nadu clamping prohibitory orders in Erode, a major source of poultry feed for Kerala, following a Covid-19 death, the supply has been disrupted pushing thousands of farmers into crisis. Though poultry sector has been declared an essential service, the delay in issuing passes has made it difficult for trucks to enter the neighbouring state.
“More than 1,200 birds died in my farm on Thursday alone. We are trying to feed them rice and bran, but the birds have started fighting with each other inflicting deep wounds. If we don’t get enough feed in two days, the entire flock will perish,” rued Jamsheer, owner of S K Chicken Farm at Chulliyode near Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad.
Unable to feed the birds, poultry farmers have started panic selling. “Farmers are desperate and the prices are abysmally low. Yesterday, we sold chicken for Rs 40 per kg. Two weeks ago, the price had plunged to Rs 18 per kg due to the bird flu scare. The production cost of chicken is Rs 70 per kg. I have taken a loan of Rs 1.5 crore. I do not know how will I repay. Around 40 per cent poultry farms have closed due to the crisis,” he said. “Though the government had assured us that the district Animal Husbandry Department will issue the passes, we are yet to get any relief.
The minister had assured that the district collectors will issue the stickers to be pasted on the trucks. But there has been no response from the officers. There are around 40,000 poultry farmers in the state and we used to sell around 22 lakh kg of chicken per day. With the Covid lockdown, the sales have hit rock bottom,” said All Kerala Poultry Federation general secretary S K Nazir. Even the government’s ‘Kerala Chicken’ project is hit hard due to feed shortage.
According to the Brahmagiri Development Society (BDS), the nodal agency for the project, 1.5 lakh birds at poultry farms in Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad, Malappuram and Kozhikode districts are starving. “Though poultry feed has been included in the essential goods list, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have imposed restrictions on truck traffic. It’s been five days since we got feed. We have already culled 50,000 chicks,” said M V Santhosh, administrative officer of Kerala Chicken project.
Local police adamant
Kerala Chicken has a breeding farm in Pollachi and a hatchery in Palakkad. Thousands of eggs from the farm in Pollachi were rotten since there was no way to ferry the stocks to Palakkad. Similarly, 50,000 birds are available for sale but there are hardly any takers. “We are incurring losses to the tune of several crores. A special circular for hassle-free transportation of poultry feed is needed to save the stocks. Though poultry feed transport is listed as essential, local police are not allowing the transportation,” said Santhosh.