Tamil Nadu poultry farmers demand power tariff relief, subsidy in state budget

The Poultry Farmers Regulatory Committee, the apex body of poultry producers in Tamil Nadu, has urged the State Government to extend power tariff concessions to poultry farms on the lines of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The demand is aimed at reviving a sector that has been facing sustained financial stress.

In a representation to the Animal Husbandry Department, the committee, a unit of the Broiler Co-ordination Committee (BCC), highlighted that a subsidy is essential to stop the decline of the industry. According to BCC sources, the cost of setting up a new poultry shed works out to ₹330 per square foot, and raising 10,000 birds requires an investment of up to ₹20 lakh.

The committee pointed out that a well-designed subsidy scheme would encourage young entrepreneurs and women in rural areas to take up poultry farming, which is considered an agriculture-allied sector. It said this would help decentralise the industry and generate rural employment.

The BCC has also requested adequate budgetary provisions for the modernisation and expansion of existing poultry units. It emphasised that older sheds need upgrades to meet current biosecurity and production standards, which is critical for the sector's long-term viability.

Another key demand relates to the establishment of an animal feed industry by creating an ecosystem for the conversion of poultry waste into usable products. This, the committee argued, would reduce environmental stress and open up new revenue streams for farmers.

The demands come ahead of the Tamil Nadu government's budget presentation. Stakeholders have been awaiting policy signals that could stabilise input costs and improve market access for poultry products. The industry's profitability has been hit by fluctuating feed prices, high electricity tariffs, and disease outbreaks in recent years.

In neighbouring southern states, concessional power tariffs and capital subsidies have been credited with helping modernise poultry infrastructure. Tamil Nadu's poultry sector, which supports thousands of livelihoods, is now seeking similar policy support to remain competitive. The government is expected to examine these proposals while finalising its budgetary allocations for the animal husbandry sector.