Rai writes to states over bird flu; markets sense fear with supply dip

He further urged them to issue necessary instructions for keeping surveillance and monitoring. Rai said that no indication of avian virus infection had been found in the 2.2 lakh chickens that arrived in the market since morning. 

However, as a precaution, it has been made mandatory for trucks entering the market to have medical certificate from Saturday.

“The vehicle owners will have to get a certificate about the medical fitness of the poultry they carry to the Ghazipur market from the place of origin,” Rai said. 

“While we will let them off with a warning on Saturday, from Sunday onward these vehicles will not be allowed to enter the market without the certificate.” On the other hands, Ghazipur Murga Mandi traders expect that in the forthcoming days, chicken prices may fall as people have started abstaining from buying chicken.

Wholesalers at Ghazipur chicken market, one of Asia’s largest livestock market which gets around three lakh chickens daily, said that the market has started to see a dip in the supply of chicken. A wholesaler at the market, Shakil khan, said: “I generally sell around 700 kg chicken but on Friday I could not sell more than 550 kg.” 

The Delhi government on Wednesday put poultry farms, wholesale markets and avian hot spots under watch after the death of 10 migratory birds at the Capital’s zoo sparked fears of bird flu outbreak in Delhi. The Delhi Zoo has been closed for three days as a precautionary measure. 

Retail shopkeepers too said that they have started facing problems of stocks getting piled up.

“The average demand from my shop during this time of the year is around 100 kg chicken which was reduced to less than 60 kg yesterday (Thursday),” Imran Qureshi, a poultry shop owner in Lajpat Nagar. “I, therefore, did not place any order today (Friday),” he added. 

The prices have not fallen yet but we won’t be able to control it for too long, he added. The current prices of Chicken is around Rs 220 per kg and mutton around Rs 440/kg.