The recently confirmed bird flu cases in Uttarakhand have affected more than 50 percent business of the poultry farms across the State.
According to various poultry farm owners, some locals are not consuming chicken and eggs due to the recently found cases in the State but however some residents are still buying chicken in reduced prices. “The consumption of poultry products like chicken has not reduced to a great extent but the prices have come down because of which we lost over 50 percent of business on a daily basis in the last few days. Several people are still buying chicken and eggs but at reduced prices,” informed the president of Uttarakhand Poultry Association Yashwant Rawat. According to Rawat who also owns a poultry farm in Haridwar, the prices of chicken have reduced to Rs 100 to Rs 150 per kilogramme which was Rs 200 per kilogramme before the bird flu outbreak but people still ask to lower the prices. Another poultry farm owner Mahesh Kainthura stated that traders who do not directly deal in the poultry products but are associated with the business are also taking advantage of the panic created in the market due to which the prices have come down. When people suddenly stop consuming poultry products or stop paying the usual rates, many farm owners have to sell poultry products to such traders at minimal rates, said Kainthura.
Moreover, some poultry farm owners stated that the poultry business will possibly return to normal within the next few weeks if more bird flu cases will not be discovered in the State.
Thursday, 14 January 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
