Kathmandu, February 18
A group of poultry farmers has staged a demonstration outside the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection on Tuesday morning, accusing the government of working in cahoots with hatchery and feed industrialists.
They said they had informed the department about the black-marketing of the hatchery and feed industrialists, but the department kept mum. Between January 25 and February 1, the hatchery owners increased the price of a chicken by Rs 30 to effect black-marketing, according to them. The farmers claimed they filed a complaint in writing about the issue, but the government did not take any action.
“It is sad that the farmers do not have access to the process of fixing the price of the product they produce,” the Poultry Farmers Struggle Committee said in a statement, “The difference between the master and the farmer exists even today.”
The demonstrators urged the government to withdraw the decision to hike the price of chickens and feed and host an all-party roundtable meeting to discuss other issues.
