The Thiruvananthapuram City Corporation is launching a new poultry development scheme to promote egg farming among women entrepreneurs, according to The Hindu. Around 1,000 women will benefit from the scheme under which two-month old birds will be provided to the beneficiaries.

Corporation Development standing committee chairman, K.O. Ashokan, said: "The Corporation will give five birds, four hens and a rooster, to every beneficiary. We will also be providing feed for three months at a subsidised rate. The birds will start laying eggs in two months. Beneficiaries will have to sustain the venture by themselves after this."

The 550,000-rupee (INR) project is part of the dairy and poultry development schemes included in the People's Plan Campaign of the Corporation for the year 2009-10. The birds will be supplied by the Kerala State Poultry Development Corporation (KSPDC). The bird cages, however, will have to be installed by the beneficiaries themselves.

Mr Ashokan explained: "As the feasibility of the project is comparatively less in the city area, most of the beneficiaries are from the panchayats which have been newly merged with the Corporation." Around 200 women from Thiruvallam ward had already been provided with the birds during the launch of the project last week, he said.

In another poultry development scheme to be launched by the Corporation later, around 300 women beneficiaries will be given 50 quail each, reports The Hindu. Under this project, the Corporation will also provide specially designed cages, developed by the Agro Industries Corporation, to house the quails.