August 18, 2011

India's Tamil Nadu veterinary officers ensure egg producers' compliance

The Commissioner of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services for India's Tamil Nadu, has requested the Regional Joint Directors and District Officers to ensure that the state's egg producers follow the Animal Welfare Board of India's order to cease immediately the starvation force molting methods.

In March, the Animal Welfare Board of India confirmed that starvation force molting is a punishable offence under India's Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960, and ordered all egg production facilities to immediately discontinue the practice.

"We are grateful to the Government of Tamil Nadu and we certainly expect that egg laying farms will comply with this order," said N.G. Jayasimha, manager of HSI's factory farming campaign in India. "Egg producers who continue to starve birds to induce molt must be prosecuted under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act."