Kendrapara: With bird flu being rampant in this district, the conflict between farmers and firms that deal with poultry products has once more come to the forefront. The district administration has started culling birds in various farms under Derabish block. Five poultry farmers have also been quarantined after they showed signs of being affected by the disease, sources said Wednesday. So far over 8,000 birds have been culled in various farms. The administration is also carrying out awareness drives urging people not to consume poultry meat and eggs.
A Central team has also visited this district and taken stock of the situation. Farmers whose birds are culled are usually provided compensation by the state government. However, many firms who deal in poultry products and have offices here are asking the farmers to hand over the compensation money. This has come as a huge blow to the farmers. The relationship between farmers and companies that deal in the products has never been good. Farmers have always alleged that the companies are eating into their profits leaving them with nothing to survive.
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Some of them said Wednesday that representatives of some of the firms that deal with poultry products are threatening them with dire consequences unless they hand over the compensation amount provided by the government. Sources pointed out that the farmers an average make a profit of rupees three to rupees five per bird which is indeed a very nominal amount. They added that poultry meat is sold at prices between Rs 250- Rs 350 per kilogram. And it is the companies that make the maximum profits. It should be stated that not just meat, these companies also sell other poultry products like eggs after procuring them from farmers at nominal rates.
Such is their dominance that farmers cannot directly sell their products to customers. Hence despite the demand for chicken and eggs growing in the state, the farmers have not been able to reap the benefits. It is the companies that deal with poultry products who are eating both the cream and the pie. As there are no proper administrative measures in place to shackle the companies, the farmers have nowhere to go. They suffer silently and sell their products at minimal prices and without getting properly paid for the hard work they put in. These farmers are the last independent link in the company-owned supply chain, a source informed. He added that unless some steps are implemented to protect their interests, more and more poultry farmers will be forced to look for other means of livelihood.