Kolar: Members of District Poultry Farmers Welfare Association staged a dharna in front of deputy commissioners office here on Wednesday demanding the government to meet their several demands. The protesters said that income from poultry farming offsets the loss that farmers sustain in agriculture. The avocation provides employment to thousands of agricultural labourers. Gujarat, Punjab, Orissa and Kerala have declared poultry farming as an agricultural occupation extending facilities to the sector on par with agriculture whereas the state was yet to take a similar step. As such poultry farmers in the state were deprived of a level-playing field, they pointed out. They demanded granting poultry farming a status on par with that of agriculture, extension of credit facility at an interest of 4 pc and waiving loans borrowed for poultry farming in terms of the guidelines issued by the Union. Accusing the Bescom authorities of raiding poultry farming units on flimsy grounds, the protesters demanded that power should be supplied to them at the tariff applicable to agricultural operations. Since Gram Panchayats do not extend any support for poultry activities, they should restrain from collecting any tax from poultry farmers, they insisted. A memorandum was later submitted to the deputy commissioner. Association president Manjunath, secretary Ramesh, convener Vishwanath and others participated.