SRINAGAR: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (DCDRC) Baramulla has awarded a compensation of Rs 14.41 lakh to two poultry farmers from Sopore after finding that poultry feed supplied to them was defective and below nutritional standards.
The judgment, delivered by Commission President Peerzada Qousar Hussain and Member Nyla Yaseen, ruled in favour of Lone Poultry and KGN Poultry, who had filed a complaint against Maha Feeds Agrotech and its local distributor Bhat Poultries for supplying feed with protein content significantly lower than the claimed 20 per cent.
According to the complainants, the defective feed led to high bird mortality and stunted growth in their farms. A certified laboratory in Srinagar confirmed that the feed contained only 15.5 per cent protein, prompting the farmers to seek redress.
The suppliers denied responsibility, arguing that the issues were likely due to viral infections rather than feed quality. However, the Commission found that the feed packaging lacked a mandatory nutritional chart, violating the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) guidelines.
The Commission termed this a case of “unfair trade practice” under Section 2(47) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, stating that the failure to disclose nutritional content amounted to a breach of consumer rights.
As per the order, each complainant is to receive Rs 5 lakh as compensation, in addition to refunds of Rs 2.22 lakh and Rs 1.89 lakh, respectively, which they had spent on the defective feed. The opposite parties were also directed to pay Rs 30,000 in litigation expenses.
Crucially, the Commission ordered the companies to recall any poultry feed currently on the market that lacks a nutritional chart, and to ensure full compliance with BIS norms in all future supplies, including clear display of nutritional data on packaging.
The opposite parties have been granted four weeks to implement the order in full from the date of receipt.
