Poultry farmers hope for quick recovery amid flu-fuelled setback

Telangana Poultry Federation president K. Mohan Reddy estimates a 50% drop in the industry’s average daily income, which typically reaches ₹10 crore in the State.
| Photo Credit: G.N. Rao

Thousands of farmers and countless others reliant on the poultry industry in Telangana are grappling with the fallout of the bird flu outbreak in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. As fear spreads, the sales of poultry meat and eggs have sharply declined, leaving the sector in turmoil.

Telangana Poultry Federation president K. Mohan Reddy estimates a 50% drop in the industry’s average daily income, which typically reaches ₹10 crore in the State.

Demand from other States is also on the wane in recent days, he notes, adding that bird flu is not a new phenomenon, having struck 4-5 times in the past 25 years. The real issue, he asserts, is the fear surrounding the flu rather than its impact on consumers. Workers in the poultry industry are continuing their duties as usual, and all farms are being maintained hygienically, he adds.

In a 2021 advisory available on its website, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India advised against consuming raw or partially cooked meat and eggs, and stated that proper cooking inactivates the virus present inside.

Estimating the number of people employed in the industry at 7 lakh, Mr.Reddy says chicken and live poultry sales in Hyderabad on Sundays touch about 10 lakh kilograms, something that has dipped sharply in the wake of the flu. Of the 4 crore eggs made available to the market daily, 2 crore is consumed in the State and the rest sent to other States, but these numbers too that have gone for a toss since the outbreak.

Federation leaders have met government officials and are hoping for the situation to improve in a week to 10 days, he says.

Adviser to the National Egg Coordination Committee K.Balaswamy echoes Mr.Reddy’s points to how the flu is not new. With annual egg consumption typically dipping between mid-January and May, the flu’s arrival is set to further strain poultry farmers by lowering prices and worsening the situation.