According to The Hindu Business Line, the farms feel that free import of American chicken legs will wreak serious damage on the domestic poultry industry, besides raising health concerns.

The Ministry has proposed free import of chicken legs from US in return for export of Indian Basmati rice and fruits and immigration reforms designed to help Indian IT professionals in America.

Several poultry farmers’ associations from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, two leading poultry products producers, have said that chicken legs in America were "by-products". In USA, consumers only prefer chicken breast meat, considered a lean, white meat, which is sold at a premium.

"But chicken legs are discarded and sold at throwaway prices. Most of these are stored for months and years. And now they (USA) are planning to dump this in the Indian market without restrictions or customs duty," G Ranjit Reddy, president of Poultry Breeders Association, said.