Poultry farmers want egg MSP

Tribune News Service

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Karnal, February 25

The protest by state poultry farmers to press for minimum support price for eggs on the lines of agricultural produce entered its 19th day on Tuesday.

Gathered under the banner of the North India Poultry Farmers Association (NIFA) outside the mini secretariat here, they alleged they were being forced to sell eggs below cost price. Lucky Lather, who is leading the protest, said the production cost of an egg was around Rs 3.75, but they were being given Rs 2.70 a piece for the last one year. The production cost is increasing day by day as the feed cost is increasing, he said.

Lather said a rate body decides the wholesale price every day, but the rate was fluctuating daily leading to loss to farmers. “Poor rate has forced us to stage an indefinite dharna in the CM’s city. We started our dharna on February 7 and will continue it till our demands are met,” he said. He said a poultry farm provides jobs to around 50 persons directly or indirectly and there were nearly 2,000 small and big farms in the state employing thousands of persons. “Several poultry farmers have already shut shop due to non-availability of proper rates,” said Lather.

Poultry farmer Parvesh Kumar said the wholesale rate of an egg was Rs 4.88 on January 1 but has come down to Rs 2.70 per egg on February 2. The fluctuation in prices has caused us big losses. “The Central Government must ensure minimum support price for eggs too just like it does for the agriculture sector,” he said.

Poultry farmers of Punjab, Rajasthan and UP have extended their support to the state’s farmers.