Kerala poultry farmers return chicken bought from Tamil Nadu

PALAKKAD: Two dozens of fully loaded trucks carrying chicken crossed the Nadupunni check post here to Tamil Nadu Sunday night after the poultry industry decided to go on strike in Kerala after talks with finance minister T. M. Thomas Isaac failed. All Kerala Poultry Traders and Farmers Sangam officials said they decided to return chicken procured from farms in Pollachi at Rs 110 to Rs 120 rather than selling them at Rs 87 a kg fixed by the state government.

“An Eicher truck carrying a full load contains 4.5 tonnes, and as per the information available with us, they were from Palakkad and Malappuram,” Binny Emmatty, state president of the Sangam told DC. The daily consumption of chicken in Kerala is nearly 200 tonnes, and as per the number of trucks reaching Pollachi through Nadupunni, at least 90 tonnes have been transported to TN on Sunday night.

“Districts like Thrissur have very less number of chicken available in farms at present weighing 1.2 kg. In 43 days, a chicken attains proper growth and will weigh 1.8 to 2 kg,” he said. He also said even though the transportation charge would have to be borne by them, they would get a much higher margin than selling at Rs 87 set by Mr Isaac Meet on Tuesday.

He said that the Sangam had called an emergency meeting her on Tuesday afternoon, and most probably traders would open their outlets on Wednesday to sell chicken at Rs 130 to Rs 135 per kilogram. “We don’t force anyone to buy at that rate, and there would not be any law-and-order issue,” he said.