Pressing the panic button

BIRD FLU has created panic amongst the poultry sellers and buyers in the city.
With sale declining, dealers have returned chicken stock to farms and have decided to wait for the crisis to blow over.

Lucknow Municipal Corporation chief veterinary officer Dr AP Singh inspected premises of poultry dealers in the city.

Proprietor of Rizwan Broiler in Amrapali Market said, “ We have been hit below the belt. We don’t have any stock now. People have panicked and stopped buying chicken.”

Another trader Alim said, “There has been no sale of broilers over the last two days. So, I have decided to close down the shop and wait for the proper time to resume business.”

Wholesalers Nafees Broilers, MR Broilers,  Jalani, Manna, Babu, Naseem and Barkat expressed similar views. They have returned their chicken stock due to poor sale. “We cannot afford losses. That’s why we have decided to wait for the proper time to resume sale,” said Rizwan of MR Broilers.

On the other hand, mutton traders recorded 40 per cent rise in sale.

“Yes, our sale has gone up, but we have not raised our prices. Many have, instead of chicken, opted for mutton,” said Nafees, a mutton seller, in Alambagh.

Dr AP Singh said the LMC would carry out special drives in the city.

“No case of bird flu has been reported here, but we are on our toes. We have written to the Animal Husbandry Department and the district administration to seal the city’s borders to check entry of broilers. Our teams will inspect the places where broilers are kept,” said Singh.

He also said, “Bird flu can infect a number of animal species, including pigs, horses and other mammals. That’s why it is important to control the virus.”