February 22, 2006

India's bird flu affected regions will take 6 months to recover

Although farmers in the Navapur region in the Indian state of Maharashtra where the first outbreaks of bird flu occurred are still in denial, the local Poultry Farm Owners Association on Tuesday estimates that the local poultry industry will lose Rs 20 crore (US$4.5 million) and it would take at least six months to recover.

A representative from the association said that with the mass culling of birds currently and with each bird having a growing cycle of 45 days, it would take more than six months to recover monetary losses and chicken stocks.

A similar outbreak in 2002 caused prices to fall from Rs 60 (US$1.35) a chicken to Rs 45 (US$1.00) forcing the closures of half the poultry farms in the region as a result of losses.

Local meat production has fallen by 20 percent while daily egg production was cut by one third. Other regions will soon feel the reverberations of bird flu since Navapur supplies various other markets in India, including Mumbai, the representative said.