Kottayam: Chicken delicacies will be out of the menu in Kerala as the All-Kerala Poultry Farmers Federation has started an indefinite strike from today demanding permission to sell chicken at higher price.

The traders demand to delay implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the State was dismissed by the government.

However, another faction of the federation said it will not take part in the strike.

A meeting called by State Finance Minister Thomas Issac with the federation at Alapuzha on Sunday remained inconclusive, following which the traders decided to go on strike.

Introduction of GST insists the traders sell chicken at Rs 87 a kg while they say that they cannot sell it at less than Rs 100.

After introduction of GST, tax on chicken has come down by 14.5 per cent. Instead of the price coming down, it has gone up in Kerala. This was objected to by the government.

Federation sources said if the price was reduced it would affect poultry farmers in the state and favour of traders who sell poultry to Kerala. If the strike continued for long the industry will suffer badly.

Chicken price was about Rs 103 pre-GST. The government said it would study the problems of the poultry farmers and finds a solution soon.

The government also rejected the plea of the federation that it be given time till September to implement GST.