The Business Standard newspaper reports that the Indian poultry industry fears a potential for huge imports of cheap chicken legs from the US after India lost its case against US imports at the World Trade Organisation in July last year. The WTO ruling to allow US poultry imports was effectively notified in July 2016, though no imports from US have yet started.

In a letter recently written to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Poultry Federation of India has warned the government that the use of pig fat as a feed by US farmers could create religious disharmony in India.

"We have written a letter to the government highlighting use of pig fat by chicken farmers in the United States. Import of chicken legs, therefore, might create religious disharmony in India. The government should not allow its import from the United States," said Ramesh Khatri, President of the Poultry Federation of India.

Indian poultry farmers have urged the government to create stringent guidelines for imports, Business Standard reports, including a ban on birds slaughtered more than three months ago, full declaration about use of high protein feed and not allowing birds fed with genetically modified (GM) corn and soya.