February 9, 2004

Indian Poultry Producers Attempt To Boost Chicken Confidence

Poultry producers in India gave away more than 500 free chicken dinners in an attempt to boost consumers' confidence.

India doesn't import chickens and hasn't reported any cases of bird flu. But many Indians have been reluctant to eat chicken since the Asian outbreak of avian flu. Poultry prices dropped and thousands of chickens have died in the markets without being sold.

With India's 300 billion-rupee ($1=INR45.26) poultry industry hit hard by the drop in sales, the Eastern India Poultry Farmers and Traders Association organized free chicken dinners on Sunday in Ashok Nagar, a town about 30 kilometers north of Calcutta, the capital of West Bengal state.

Poultry producers and traders plan to organize such meals in other parts of the country as well, said B. Prasad, the association president.

"We have begun a drive to make people aware that there is nothing wrong with Indian poultry products. The flu hasn't hit our country," Prasad said.

At least 19 people have died of bird flu in Asia, with Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam battling the disease.

In India, chicken prices have fallen by one-third in New Delhi and several other areas due to panic, Prasad said.

Many traders fear they will go out of business if prices continue to slump.

"We used to supply about 150,000 chickens to Calcutta every day before the outbreak of the flu, but now the figure has come down to being negligible," Prasad said.

"Farmers can't sell their chicken and they are being forced to provide fodder to keep them alive. If this continues for some more time, many poultry traders will go out of business," Prasad said.