Bird Flu Scare Hits Telangana, Andhra Pradesh; Poultry Industry Faces Loss Of Rs.30 Crore

The two southern states in India are anxious about their poultry businesses and livelihoods after the Telangana government decided to cull 145,000 birds.

The bird flu outbreak in Telangana has scared the poultry industry in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India. Telangana government has decided to cull around 1.45 lakh birds in Ranga Reddy district, which will strike an immediate Rs.30 crore blow to theindustry.

"The immediate impact of culling 1.45 lakh birds will be Rs.30 crore, of which Rs 18 crore will be compensated by the state government," said Ranjit Reddy, President, Telangana Poultry Breeders Association (TPBA).

Avian Influenza / Bird Flu-Causes-Symptoms-Treatment- FAQs
Bird flu (avian influenza/avian flu) is a disease caused by an influenza virus (H5N1) that primarily affects birds but can infect humans also.

Poultry farmers are worried about the further loss, as the bird flu alert will scare consumers off poultry products for at least 7-10 days.

The price inflation of nearly 50% for bird feeds over the past two years has added on to the pressure. Sanjeev Chintawar, Business manager, National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) said, "The industry expects to face some pricing pressure on poultry products as demand will continue to be low over the next few days, resulting in a drop in prices.”

Feed prices play a crucial role in determining the health of the poultry industry, as feed costs constitute nearly 75% of the total input cost. Over the last two years, the poultry industry has been incurring an average loss of Rs.50-75 per bird per year.

A New Variant of Bird Flu Virus Causes Serious Infection
A newly detected variant of bird flu virus has been associated with serious lung infection, ultimately resulting in death.

Poultry farms in Telangana produce four crore layer chicken per year, two crore broiler chicken per month and 3.2 crore eggs per day. Nearly 40-50% of the layer chicken produced in AP and T are exported to states like Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, among others while the locals prefer broiler chicken.

Farmers in AP are worried though the outbreak is in Telangana. Balram, a representative of the poultry farmers association of West Godavari, said, "Poultry prices will surely drop due to this scare irrespective of where the produce comes from. Farmers from AP too will have to bear the brunt of this outbreak. The government should ensure that farmers receive adequate compensation for their loss."

A Bird's Eye View of The Bird Flu Scare
It might not be the plague yet, but the bird or avian flu scare has acquired this nasty habit of sending a shiver down the spine.

TPBA is already planning to come up with a campaign that, poultry products available in the market are absolutely safe for consumption as in India most of the poultry products are not consumed raw but cooked, which kills the virus to convince chicken and egg lovers.

Source-Medindia

Bird Flu Scare Steps Up Border Checks in Hong Kong
Border checks have now been stepped up in Hong Kong after the city reported its first case of the deadly H7N9 bird flu