Kerala Chicken: Failed project that killed Malabar farmers

KANNUR: Kerala chicken scheme saw a loss of Rs 16.07 crore to the state budget. Adding more worry is the story of farmers in the Malabar belt also mired in penury after involving in the touted project. Farmers from Kannur, Kasargod, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Palakkad await the pending Rs 3.52 crore arrears from nodal agencies.

The farmers earlier took care of the baby chickens for 40 days. After gauging the feed concession rate( FCR) of the chickens, Rs 8 to Rs 13 were fixed per kilogram. The amount would have been credited to the farmers for caring the chickens for 40 days. However, the nodal agency officers are now evading the farmers, and the arrears left unanswered.

The farmers were enrolled in the scheme only after taking a caution deposit of Rs 130 per chicken. It is alleged that apart from the nodal agencies working in the Malabar terrain, no other agencies asked for deposits from the farmers.

For housing the chickens for 40 days, the farmers had to arrange buildings, water, electricity, and other necessities for the project. The total loss from the farmer's side is estimated at Rs 35 lakhs. Meanwhile, many farmers who took humongous loans eyeing lucrative businesses were broken with attachment notices from banks reaching their homes.