Tamil Nadu Broiler Chicken Traders to Suspend Sales Indefinitely from July 31

Coimbatore: The Tamil Nadu Chicken Traders Federation on Monday announced that broiler chicken sales across Tamil Nadu will be suspended indefinitely from July 31, alleging that poultry production companies have repeatedly violated government-prescribed feed withdrawal regulations, causing financial losses to traders and compromising hygiene standards.

Federation President B. Durairaj announced that the decision was taken after repeated representations to broiler companies failed to bring about any corrective action regarding the implementation of feed withdrawal practices before dispatching birds from farms.

According to the federation, government regulations mandate that feeding of broiler chickens must be stopped 12 hours before the scheduled time of dispatch from farms. However, poultry companies have allegedly failed to adhere to these norms, resulting in discrepancies in the weight of the birds supplied to retailers. Traders claim that the practice has caused significant economic losses while also leading to the transportation and sale of chickens under unhygienic conditions.

The federation said it has been continuously urging broiler production companies to strictly implement the prescribed feed withdrawal protocol to prevent weight-related discrepancies and ensure hygienic handling of poultry. Despite repeated demands, no satisfactory action has been taken, prompting traders to intensify their protest.

Following consultations with wholesale and retail chicken traders, it was decided to launch an indefinite agitation by suspending broiler chicken sales from July 31. Chicken traders in Puducherry have also extended their support to the protest and will join their counterparts in the indefinite strike from the same day.

The federation has urged poultry production companies to immediately comply with the government’s feed withdrawal regulations and address the long-pending concerns of traders to prevent further disruption in the supply of broiler chicken across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.