Jittery over the prospects of cheaper U.S. chicken legs getting dumped into the Indian market, the poultry farmers want the Government to appeal against the WTO panel verdict at the Appellate Body.
On Tuesday, India lost the case against the U.S. at the World Trade Organisation after the disputes panel ruled that restrictions imposed by India on imports of poultry from America were "inconsistent" with the international norms.
"We want the Government to appeal against this order" said G Ranjit Reddy, President of the Hyderabad-based Poultry Breeders Association, reacting to the WTO ruling. The poultry breeders across the country are planning to approach the Government seeking its intervention in this regard.
"The WTO ruling will hamper growth of the poultry industry in the country which is still recovering from bird flu and high feed costs" said M.C.R Shetty, president of the Karnataka Poultry Farmers and Breeders Association.
Shetty said the chicken legs are considered a scrap in the U.S., which it wants to dump in the Indian market at a throw away price. Such dumped chicken legs could potentially occupy about 40 per cent of the Indian market, Shetty said adding that the Government should block the cheaper imports to protect the domestic growers.
About four lakh farmers are engaged in poultry farming and the domestic market size is estimated at around Rs 50,000 crore.
The U.S. had dragged India to the WTO in 2012 after restrictions were imposed on the imports of chick legs from as a precautionary measure to prevent the outbreak of avian influenza.