August 7, 2014

India's poultry farmers oppose US chicken leg imports
 

India's proposal to allow free import of American chicken legs has met with resistance by Indian poultry farmers, quoting serious damage to the domestic poultry industry and health concerns.

India's External Affairs Ministry has proposed free import of chicken legs from the United States in return for export of Indian Basmati rice and fruits and immigration reforms designed to help Indian IT professionals in America.

Several poultry farmers' associations from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, two leading poultry products producers, said that chicken legs were "by-products" in America, where consumers prefer chicken breast meat.

"But chicken legs are discarded and sold at throwaway prices. Most of these are stored for months and years. And now they (USA) are planning to dump this in the Indian market without restrictions or customs duty," G Ranjit Reddy, president of Poultry Breeders Association, said.