Fringe outfits blackmailing us, say poultry farmers

Poultry farmers in Karnataka have said that “fringe organisations” were extorting money from them under the guise of concern for environmental hygiene.

MCR Shetty, president, Karnataka poultry farmers’ and breeders’ association (KPFBA), the apex organisation of poultry farmers in the state, told mediapersons on Thursday that members of the association were complaining about increasing incidence of extortion calls from fringe outfits.

“If members do not give in to demands, these elements attack farms and employees under the pretext of public nuisance caused by poultry farms. The extortionists have gone to the extent of damaging poultry farm properties and stealing birds from farms,’’ Shetty said.

To protest against such blackmail, association members would hold a massive rally at Palace Grounds in Bangalore on October 26, to draw the state government’s attention to their plight.

“The incidents of threat, extortion and harassment are distressing. We are hopeful that the government will take up the issue, address our concerns, and implement measures to prevent occurrences such as these in the future,” he said.

Shetty said the poultry segment provides direct and indirect employment to more than five million people in the state. The state produces 420 million kg of poultry meat and 7 billion eggs every year, contributing 13 per cent of the country’s output in both segments.

“Given the contribution of this sector to the economy of the state, the association is seriously concerned with the menace of fringe organisations,’’ he said. According to him, though poultry farming is an agricultural activity, out of ignorance, many local panchayats insist on the issuance of licenses to start a poultry farm.

“Panchayats have also been collecting building taxes from poultry farms. Building tax is not applicable to poultry farms and some farmers, out of ignorance, end up paying these taxes. A representation has been submitted to the principal secretary, Animal Husbandry in this regard,’’ he said.

Stating that the KPFBA has taken series of measures to adopt the best practices in poultry farms to maintain hygienic condition, Shetty he said any erring member would be dealt with by the association. “Seminars and awareness campaigns by way of extension activity are conducted by the association for the benefit of farmers to implement best practices. We are planning to organise a workshop on fly control on October 5,’’ he said.

Poultry farming is a major agricultural activity across Karnataka and the state is an important contributor to the overall production of egg and chicken meat in the country - the 3rd highest in the world when it comes to egg production and the 4th highest as far as broiler production is concerned. Bangalore is considered a hub of breeding activity in India, drawing interest from organizations in within the country and abroad.