The price of broiler chicken crashed to Rs. 100 per kilogram in Erode district on Sunday, in the wake of bird flu scare.
Last week, the price ruled at Rs. 140. The usual crowd was missing at the chicken stalls. The sellers did not anticipate such a fall in patronage since they had received assurance from poultry farms that the supplies were made after adequate testing.
In fact, there was no cause for fear as there was no harm in consuming well-cooked meat, P. Jayaraman, Joint Director of Animal Husbandry Department, said.
Mutton stalls, on the other hand, witnessed more than usual crowds, indicating higher demand due to the fear of avian infuenza.
However, mutton stall owners said the higher patronage did not benefit them since there has been a scarcity of goats over the last couple of days.
Meanwhile, the Animal Husbandry Department has constituted 42 Rapid Response Teams in the district, for conducting surveillance of bird flu incidence in the 14 blocks, and at the Vellode Bird Sanctuary.
There are 42 teams, each composed of a veterinary assistant surgeon, a livestock inspector, and an animal husbandry assistant assigned to cover each block in the district that accounts for 62 lakh birds in 487 poultry farms.
Besides, the health of over 23,000 birds at the Vellode Bird Sanctuary, and about 5,000 ducks in Gobichettipalayam area was also being monitored, Mr. Jayaraman, said.
A day after the official announcement on incidence of bird flu in Kerala last week, District Collector S. Prabakharan convened a meeting of Animal Husbandry Department officials for initiation of remedial steps.
A check-post has been established at Bannari by the Animal Husbandry Department, and a medical team has been sending back loads of poultry and eggs brought from Kerala.
The Rapid Response Teams have been mandated with the responsibility of determining initiation of bio-security measures by farmers, and verify deaths if any.
The Department has been sending daily reports to the District Collector and its Head Office on the findings of RRTs. The public have been instructed to pass on information to the department in case they come across large-scale bird deaths over phone: 94450-32505.
The Health, Revenue, Panchayat, Police, Transport and Forest departments are assisting the Animal Husbandry Department to ensure the success of preventive measures against spread of the virulant H5N1 virus strain that is water and air borne, and also spreads through physical contact.
Gloves, gum boots, disinfectants and other kits to handle dead birds have been supplied to the RRTs from the Poultry Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.
‘There is no cause for fear as there is no harm in consuming well-cooked meat’

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/broiler-chicken-prices-slump-in-wake-of-bird-flu-scare-in-erode/article6650166.ece