A delegation of Independent Poultry Association met Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and handed over a memorandum requesting the State Government to save the broiler farmers of Punjab.
It said that the broiler farmers of Punjab needed to be saved from what it called “pseudo contract farming companies”who were producing broilers by contracting with some of the farmers and at the same time selling chicks directly or through their franchises to rest of the broiler farmers producing their own broilers independently.
They brought into his notice that a company abusing its very dominant position in chick production is forcing farmers to buy chicks from it or its franchises at the rate of Rs 40 to Rs 50 per chick. This is almost thrice the cost of production of a chick.
At the same time, they are selling their ready broiler chicken, which they produce using their own chicks at contracted farms, at much lower predatory prices in the open market in direct competition with ordinary poultry farmers producing broiler chicken independently by purchasing broiler chicks from them or their franchises.
At the same time, the delegation said they are exploiting farmers working with them through contracts.
“Not a single farmer throughout Punjab possesses a copy of contract with him. Any loss due to adverse climatic conditions, diseases or natural calamities is forced upon contracted farmers. No quality parameters of any of the inputs is guaranteed but their compensation is directly linked with output performance,” complained the delegation.
They said this all is leading broiler farmers of the State to lose tens of lakhs of rupees per day and is compelling them to close their farms due to rising unplayable debt.
Jagdeep Singh, Jagroop Singh and Sukhraj Singh led this delegation of the poultry farmers.