Kozhikode: Controversial poultry-waste processing company Freshcut Organics Pvt Ltd has signed an agreement with representatives of the local action council to relocate its facility from Ambayathod in Kattippara near Thamarassery, ending a prolonged standoff between the company and local residents.
The agreement was reached as part of a series of discussions held under the leadership of Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty and MLAs P K Firoz, K A Kasim and M A Razaq Master. As per the agreement, the company will shift its poultry-waste processing facility from the present location before March 2027.
The company has also agreed to withdraw all complaints filed against members of the protest council in connection with the agitation, which had resulted in police cases.
Until the relocation, the company will be permitted to process up to 25 tonnes of poultry waste a day at the existing facility, subject to strict compliance with all applicable rules and regulations, according to the agreement.
The agreement brings a temporary resolution to the dispute over the functioning of the plant, against which local residents have been protesting for several years. The agitation intensified recently following allegations that waste from the facility entered the nearby river during heavy rains and flooding.
The Kerala State Pollution Control Board had earlier issued a closure notice to the facility following complaints from residents. The Kerala High Court subsequently stayed the closure order and allowed the company to continue operations subject to compliance with regulations.
The relocation agreement follows sustained protests and negotiations involving the company management, local residents and elected representatives. The action council had maintained that it would not allow the company to continue operating from the existing site.
The facility has been at the centre of disputes for several years. In October 2025, tensions escalated when local residents stopped a lorry carrying poultry waste to the plant. The incident led to clashes with police, and the facility was subsequently set on fire.
Under the latest agreement, the company will now continue operations at a limited capacity until a new site is identified and the facility is shifted, with the relocation deadline set for March 2027.
