March 10, 2004

Bird Flu Scare Sets India Poultry Industry By INR8 Billion

India's poultry industry has lost INR8 billion since about the end of January, as the bird flu outbreak in nearby countries weakened consumers' appetites for poultry products, industry officials told reporters late Tuesday.

"Even though India didn't report a single case of bird flu, the extensive media coverage of the flu outbreak in Southeast Asia put Indians off chicken and eggs," said V Sriram, president of the Poultry Federation of India.

The average daily consumption of chicken and eggs in India is valued at INR320 million, but that figure fell to INR80 million in the Jan. 27-March 9 period, said Sriram.

"I have been in the business of poultry for 37 years, but never seen a crisis as deep as the current one," said Shashi Kapur, managing director of Indovax Ltd.

Kapur said around 95% of India's total poultry production came from small and marginal farmers and that if consumption doesn't increase quickly, it will spell disaster for these farmers.

India's Animal Husbandry Commissioner V.K. Taneja added that it is absolutely safe for Indians to eat chicken and eggs.

"People can eat chicken and eggs without any fear in their minds. There never was any bird flu threat in India," said Taneja.