Bird flu fear leads to dip in poultry demand in Odisha
BHUBANESWAR: Fear arising out of the bird flu outbreak in other parts of the country has stopped some people from consuming chicken and eggs here, leading to a 20-25% dip in the sales of these items at the farm gate and at retail counters. So far, no bird flu case has been detected in the state this season.
The trend does not augur well for the poultry industry that was slowly emerging from a reduction in domestic and commercial consumption during the lockdown. Sales had gained pace after the lockdown was lifted.
“We had sustained heavy losses as consumption was negligible in March and April last year,” said Harmohan Dash, president of All Odisha Poultry Forum. “With the withdrawal of the lockdown, the industry was able to regain its working capital in two to three months. Demand exceeded supply as we were producing at 70% to 80% of our capacity. Just before the bird flu outbreak began elsewhere, farm gate price of chicken was Rs 80 to Rs 90 per kg while retailers sold it at Rs 180 per kg,” said Dash.
Consumption at retail points had increased by 10% to 15% after the lockdown. Currently, the farm gate price of chicken is between Rs 60 and Rs 70 per kg, while the bird is being retailed at Rs 150 per kg.
Under normal conditions, the state consumes around 2.4 crore kg of chicken a month. The sale of eggs has also dipped, with farms selling them at Rs 3.90 apiece from the earlier Rs 5.25 apiece. The state consumes one crore eggs per day.
“The fear remains in spite of the fact that bird flu is transmitted to humans only on close contact and very few cases have been detected across the world so far,” said a senior government officer. “Farm workers are most at risk. But the virus dies at 70°C. Also, we have tested 25k to 26k samples of birds in the state so far and all have tested negative for the virus. No case has been detected in neighbouring West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh either,” he said.
Badal Parija, owner of prominent city eatery, has a different take on the poor sales. “Consumption by individual consumers has not reduced. Consumption in hotels has decreased with tourists staying away and fewer people eating out due to Covid-19. Also, no mid-day meals were served during the lockdown.”
Retail outlets said they were maintaining more cleanliness post-Covid. “The dressing room is washed both with detergents and approved chemicals. The shop front is frequently sprayed with sanitisers while workers wear masks and use hand sanitisers all the time,” said S B Devadutt, owner of a poultry firm. Sellers are trying to convince customers. “Although most people are aware, many are wary of buying chicken and eggs said Umesh Panda, a retailer in Rasulgarh.