September 2, 2024

 

Fall in chicken prices in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India

 

Amid the detection of bird flu cases in poultry, chicken prices in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, fell as sales declined, while restaurants are experiencing a marginal drop in demand for chicken delicacies.

 

Animal husbandry and veterinary services minister Gokulananda Mallik said those living outside areas where bird deaths have been recorded can consume chicken and eggs after cooking them properly.

 

Despite the minister's assurance, vendors are witnessing a 30-40% drop in the sales of chicken.

 

"Even price has also gone down from ₹220 (US$2.62) per kilograme last week (August 19-25) to  ₹180-200 per kg on Wednesday (August 28)," said  Manoj Das, a poultry vendor at Nayapalli area of Bhubaneswar. "Customers who regularly buy from us are avoiding poultry products while hotels and restaurants have also reduced their orders."

 

Following the death of around 50 birds at Abalpur village in Puri district during the August 19-25 period, the district administration culled around thousands of chickens and conducted intense surveillance within a 10km radius of the area.

"As many as 30,000 chickens have been culled so far in Pipili and Satyabadi blocks and area with 10km radius has been sanitised and kept under strict surveillance," Mallik said. "Compensation of ₹20 (US$0.24) for small chicken and ₹70 (US$1.09) for big chicken will be given to poultry farmers, whose birds were culled."

 

"We conducted mapping within a 1km area where we culled every single bird found in houses, farms and shops," said Nihar Naik, additional director of animal husbandry and veterinary services. "The restriction on the sales of chicken and egg in the affected area will be there for three months. No poultry products will go out or enter the area for the next three months. Sanitisation and surveillance in the area has been done while all poultry farmers have been asked to report any bird deaths immediately,"

 

There are over 500 poultry farms in Pipili and Satybadi blocks.

 

"Due to the outbreak of bird flu in intervals of one-and-a-half-years, poultry farmers are facing huge losses," said Pradyumna Parida, secretary of Odisha Poultry Farmers' Development Forum. "We have been demanding a permanent solution or insurance facility for poultry farmers. The insurance companies are not insuring live birds unlike for other crops."

 

- The Times of India