Farmers’ association plans to intensify protests for higher poultry rearing rates

The Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Padhukappu Sangam on Friday expressed resolve to intensify its struggle for securing revised rearing rates for poultry farmers under contract with broiler chicken companies.

Since the start of January, several thousands of poultry farmers across the State have been on strike demanding increase in the rearing rate from ₹6.50 per kg to ₹20.

A meeting was held at Avinashipalayam in Tiruppur district to felicitate the founder of the Sangam, Easan Murugasamy, and 14 other farmers who were released from prison after a month of confinement following registration of seven police cases in Tiruppur and Coimbatore districts for undertaking protests. At the meeting, a senior functionary of the Sangam, N. Ramesh, and representatives of farmers’ associations from Dindigul, Karur, Erode, Tiruppur and Coimbatore, reiterated their resolve to carry forward the momentum of protests. Over 1,000 farmers took part in the meeting.

The rearing rate has been stagnant for several years, despite escalating costs of the overheads, causing closure of several poultry farms.

Several farms of the poultry farmers who were unable to repay bank loans had been auctioned, Mr. Murugasamy said.

“The State Government, instead of holding talks with farmers to resolve the issue, had sided with the poultry companies to suppress the peaceful protests by registering false cases,” Mr. Murugasamy lamented.

“Holding protests for genuine grievances is a Constitutional right. We will not relent until our objective of revision in rearing rate to ₹20 per kg is realised,” he added.

The poultry farmers need to be supported through waiver of loans, and incentives. “Farmers can no longer be considered as mere vote banks,” he emphasised.