COVID-19 scare-driven rumours are wringing the poultry industry in the district with the prices of chicken hitting almost rock bottom.
Social media posts that coronavirus is spread by eating chicken and eggs have hit the poultry industry with near zero sales. So much so, vegetables, by default, have become costlier than chicken in the district.
Chicken feed prices
For instance, a kg of dressed skinless chicken is being sold at ₹ 50 per kg, and live birds at ₹ 30 per kg. A kg of ridge-gourd, in comparison, is going at ₹ 60 per kg. In fact, poultry farmers are touring villages in trolleys offering live birds at ₹ 100 for three kg with few takers. A fortnight ago, dressed skinless chicken was sold at ₹ 180 per kg.
Moreover, unable to feed live birds, poultry farmers are resorting to distress sales of chicken at prices lowest ever in the district. In 2006 when bird flu hit the country, chicken was sold at ₹ 20 per kg. Prices of eggs also have come down from ₹ 5 a piece to ₹ 3.
Coop in a soup
The local poultry industry is in a crisis pushing farmers into a debt-trap. According to sources, each farmer spends around ₹ 130 to ₹ 145 per bird for its growth for about one month to make it weigh 2.5 kg, to sell at ₹ 200 per bird.
While virus-scared people are avoiding eating chicken and eggs at home, even in marriage functions serving of chicken and eggs has come down.
Distress sales, few takers
District Poultry Farmers’ Association leader Vontela Muralikrishna Reddy said poultry farmers have incurred huge debts following COVID-19 rumours. “During the bird flu outbreak of 2006, there was a decline in chicken consumption to some extent. But with social media now, rumours have spread very fast and are proving dearly to the farmers,” he stated.
Sudheer Reddy, another poultry farmer said he was forced to sell away around 2,000 live birds at for 60,000 instead of ₹ 3 lakh incurring huge losses. “Earlier I used to sell eight quintals of chicken per day. Now, am unable to sell even 100 kg in spite of reducing the price,”a chicken centre owner in Bhagathnagar said.
