In wake of bird flu,chicken sales drop

Prices have gone up by up to Rs 20 a kilo

Chicken prices have gone up marginally in some places across Bengaluru following the outbreak of bird flu.

Shops Metrolife spoke to, two days after the flu broke out, said they had increased prices by Rs 5 to Rs 20 in the last two days, to ensure the product moves off the shelf. “There’s a fluctuation of price everyday. It is now Rs 220 a kg,” says the owner of Bismillah Chicken Centre in Suddagunte Palya.

Supply is on the wane, with poultries fearing government may order culling of birds.

S Akbar of J B Chicken in Shantinagar says business has fallen by 40 per cent in the wake of the bird flu.

“But thanks to panic purchases, there isn’t any leftover stock,” he says.

Bangalore Cold Storage on Brigade Road has seen a 20 to 25 per cent drop in sales.

In situations such as this, many who relish chicken give up temporarily.

“We have directed all poultry unites in the city to sanitise the premises and keep it clean. People are still buying poultry products. We also conduct random inspections to ensure that poultries don’t stock an sell old meat,” says a senior health inspector in the BBMP health department.

What is bird flu?

Avian influenza or bird flu is a highly contagious viral disease caused by Influenza Type A viruses. It usually affects poultry birds such as chickens and turkeys. Some viruses are mild and merely cause a dip in egg production, while others are severe and lethal.

No alert

After the first case of bird flu was detected in Kottayam and Alappuzha in Kerala, Karnataka has put four bordering districts on alert. It has not sounded any alert for Bengaluru.