Indian egg producers to comply with welfare directive

The Director of Animal Husbandry for the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the largest egg producing state in India, has directed the Joint Directors (Animal Husbandry) and District Officers to ensure that the state’s egg producers comply with the Animal Welfare Board of India’s order to immediately discontinue starvation force molting regimes.

In March, the Animal Welfare Board of India confirmed that starvation force molting is a punishable offence under India’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960, and ordered all egg production facilities to immediately discontinue the practice.

“We are grateful to the Government of Andhra Pradesh and we certainly expect that egg laying farms will comply with this order,” said N.G. Jayasimha, manager of HSI’s factory farming campaign in India. “Egg producers who continue to starve birds to induce molt must be prosecuted under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.”