Not chickening out

In a bid to safeguard their interests and protect their trade from being taken over, the farmers have floated the All Assam Poultry Farmers’ Protection Committee with A.K. Bhagawati as president.

The poultry business in Assam involves nearly 50,000 people.

Speaking to the media today, Bhagawati said national and multinational companies opt for the integrated broiler production method, where the firms enter into contracts with local farmers to supply poultry feed, chicks and other materials necessary to rear the birds. The companies then buy back the hens at a price determined by them, leaving a marginal profit of only around a rupee to Rs 3 for the farmers.

“Here, the production cost goes up, but the market price of the bird does not fall, ensuring high profits for the companies. In south India and West Bengal, giant companies have taken over the industry with full control over price, while local farmers incur losses in the long run,” the president said. Venkys (India) Limited and Amrit Feeds Ltd are some of the firms that have entered Lower Assam.