Trichy, August 2025
A ground-breaking step towards advancing animal welfare and sustainable farming was marked with the inauguration of India’s first state-of-the-art environmentally controlled Cage-Free Poultry Training Facility in Trichy, Tamil Nadu. This pioneering centre has been developed through a collaborative effort between People for Animals Public Policy Foundation (PFAPPF), Global Food Partners, Happy Hens Farms, and the Cage-Free Free-Range Poultry Producers Association, with vital support from TANSIM (Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission).
The facility aims to serve as a central hub for training, research, and innovation in cage-free and free-range poultry production practices across India.
The inauguration was followed by a Training of Trainers (ToT) programme that brought together leading experts and progressive individuals committed to advancing India’s poultry sector. Trainers included specialists from the Global Food Partners, Dutch Poultry Institute, Certified Humane, and Big Dutchman, among others, who led sessions on cage-free housing systems, bird welfare, market integration, and farm management best practices.
The three-day programme hosted a diverse group of participants, including government officials from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Gujarat, representatives from the Central Poultry Development Organisation (CPDO), veterinarians from the Central Avian Research Institute (CARI), and independent entrepreneurs. Together, they explored the growing demand and market opportunities for cage-free and free-range eggs in India, along with the evolving national and global standards for welfare-friendly farming.
“This centre marks a significant milestone in our journey to mainstream humane and sustainable poultry farming practices in India,” said Priyanka Bangari from People for Animals Public Policy Foundation.
“At Global Food Partners, our mission is to create a sustainable, high-welfare cage-free ecosystem, both in India and across Asia. We look forward to continued collaboration with our partners of the Cage-free Poultry Training Facility to provide technical expertise and training to egg farmers and other key poultry stakeholders in India,” said Parizad Baria, Producer Engagement Lead at Global Food Partners.
” being a pioneer in humane poultry space we are thrilled to have succefully built India’s first modern cage free commercial layer house. Our vision is to grow the sustainable & humane poultry sector in India to meet global standards. We are happy to have partnered with Mathavan D our farmer to make this a succefull start for an exciting journey ahead ” said Manjunath Marappan CEO Happy Hens Farms.
“This facility marks a significant step toward scaling humane, cage-free poultry farming in India. Through workshops, start-up incubation, and Training of Trainers, we’re building a skilled and ethical backbone for the industry. Our goal is to support rural livelihoods while ensuring standardization, innovation, certification and compliance. The next milestone is securing banking support — and CFFRPPA is already advancing efforts in that direction,” said Mr. Ashok Kannan, President, CFFRPPA.
The facility will continue to host regular workshops, incubation programmes for start-ups, and farmer training sessions, thereby acting as a launchpad for cage-free poultry production and rural livelihood development across the country.
For more details, please visit: www.pfappf.com
About the Author
