Bird flu no scare for chicken lovers

Shivani Bhakoo

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 14

Shopkeepers dealing in poultry products are relieved as despite the avian influenza scare, there has been no decline in the sales. The shopkeepers said the meat and chicken lovers understand that there has not been any case reported so far in this part of the region where bird flu is transmitted to humans.

Talking to The Tribune, Amandeep Singh, from Dugri area, said the birds were culled in the particular poultry farm near Raikot. “To save money, the birds must have not been injected, which is mandatory. Due to this, the immune system of birds gets weak and they catch infection. Over 60,000 birds were culled in the five-days’ operation. The authorities culled the birds and destroyed the eggs at the farm”, said Amandeep Singh.

However, the demand for eggs and chicken has not decreased. “We are relieved as people have not stopped buying the poultry products as is usually done when any such case is highlighted. Customers are coming, demanding both eggs and chicken and we have not reduced the prices either because there is no decline in the demand,” said Amandeep Singh.

Recently, the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal had confirmed about avian influenza in samples sent from the particular farm. The poultry farm owner had informed the concerned authorities about the death of around 1,500 birds following which quick action was taken by the administration and the one kilometer area was declared as an infected zone. Following suo-moto action, culling of birds had promptly started.