CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday led his party MLAs in a walkout protesting the denial of opportunity to raise poultry farmers’ woes in the state Assembly during the zero hour.
The same evening, the state government formed district-level technical committees to examine the demands of broiler farm owners and identify appropriate solutions.
An official release said the committee will consult broiler farmers and other stakeholders, assess input quality and costs, explore ways to improve productivity, and study issues in farm operations, disease incidence, and gaps in veterinary care. Besides, the panel will also analyse production-procurement mismatches and, after consulting collectors of key poultry districts, submit recommendations for resolution.
The release added that Tamil Nadu produces and sells about 5 crore to 5.5 crore broiler chickens annually, involving nearly 20,000 farm owners and around 66 integrators.
Earlier in the day, when Palaniswami rose to raise the issue in the Assembly, Speaker M Appavu said the issue will be taken up for discussion on Friday since the minister concerned could give his reply only in consultation with the officials.
He said not only the AIADMK MLAs but also members from other parties had given notice to raise this issue. As Palaniswami insisted on taking up the issue immediately, the AIADMK MLAs started raising slogans, and CM M K Stalin also said the issue will be taken up on Friday. However, Palaniswami led his party MLAs in a walkout.
Outside the House, Palaniswami said TN’s poultry farmers are facing a serious livelihood crisis, accusing the government of favouring purchasing companies over farmers. He noted that about 40,000 farmers and five lakh workers depend on the sector, where the grower fee remains Rs 6.50 per kg despite sharp rises in costs. Farmers have protested for six months, demanding an increase to Rs 20 per kg, but the government has ignored them.