The Kudumbasree Mission plans to set up 5,000 broiler chicken farms across the State soon to meet a large part of the rising demand for chicken in the State.
The mission already has 274 units and will soon open another 1,000 farms with the overall objective of meeting the demand for chicken and improving the financial status of women, Animal Husbandry Minister K. Raju said at the launch of the project here on Thursday.
The Minister formally launched integration of Kudumbasree’s activities with those of the Animal Husbandry Department and distributed the revolving fund to various Kudumbasree units at the function.
Earlier, inaugurating the project, Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac said the government’s effort was to bring visibility to women’s labour.
Earlier, all the work done by women remained invisible. However, with their work generating income, it would become possible for them to claim their rightful place in the visible labour force. The government would see to it that the Kudumbasree units starting the broiler chicken units get chicken at low prices and there was market for the meat produced by them, he added.
Logo released
Releasing the logo of the Safe Food Homes project at the function, Local Self-Government Minister K.T. Jaleel said the government would give training, seeds and saplings to all women who took part in the project. The Kudumbasree chicken project, he said, would help end the role played by middlemen in the chicken market.
Presiding over the function, K. Muraleedharan, MLA, hoped that the Kudumbasree chicken project would help improve the health status of Keralites who were now being forced to consume hormone-treated chicken from the neighbouring States.
Kudumbasree executive director S. Harikishore, Animal Husbandry director N.N. Sasi, Mayor V.K. Prasanth and district panchayat president V.K. Madhu addressed the meeting.