Kerala Livestock and Poultry Feed Act to protect interests of farmers: Minister
The Hindu
Act aims to ensure safe and quality feed, regulate manufacturing, storage, distribution and sale of feed stuff
The proposed Kerala Livestock and Poultry Feed and Mineral Mixture (Regulation of Manufacture and Sale) Act, 2022, will be enacted only after protecting the interests of dairy and poultry farmers in the State, Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development J. Chinchurani has said.
Addressing a sitting of the select committee on the Act, to collect evidence from farmer representatives in four northern districts here on Thursday, Ms. Chinchurani said the Act aims to ensure safe and quality feed, regulate manufacturing, storage, distribution and sale of feed stuff, and mineral mixture in the State.
The members of the committee would visit States that had enacted the Act prior to its final draft, the Minister said.
Most of the farmers in the State depended on feeds produced in other States as those produced by Milma and Kerala Feeds could cater to only 50% demands of the farming community in a month.
Moreover, several complaints were raised by farmers on the quality of feeds arriving from other States and on the difficulty to detect adulteration in such feeds. Hence enacting the Bill was the need of the hour, the Minister added.
Members of the panel, including K.P. Mohanan, K.K. Rama, Mathew Kuzhalnadan, Kurukkoli Moideen, D.K. Murali, Job Maichil, K.D. Prasenan, C.K. Asha, G.S. Jayalal and K.P. Kunhammed Kutty, and farmer representatives from Kannur, Kozhikode, Kasaragod and Wayanad districts, as well as senior officials attended the meeting.