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Bird flu scare hits chicken sales
By Aamir Shafaat Khan
KARACHI: People are reluctant to purchase chicken over the
last two days after the news that bird flu has hit
neighbouring countries, especially India and Iran.
Retailers in Saddar, Tariq Road, F.B. Area and other areas
say that there is a slight decline in poultry sales owing to
thin presence of consumers who now appear more concerned
about reports that the virus has reached the neighbouring
countries.
 One of the retailers in F.B. Area said that consumers’
presence had dropped by 20 per cent at his outlet. Retailers
at the Empress Market said they had witnessed a 40-50 per
cent reduction in consumers’ arrival at their shops.
Some retailers are reported to be offering birds at Rs60 per
kg and its meat at Rs100-105, while in some areas retailers
are selling live bird at Rs55-58 per kg and its meat at
Rs90-94.
Stakeholders in the poultry business offer a mixed view on
the daily sale of birds in the aftermath of bird flu cases
in India and Iran. Mohammad Hussain Patel, Sindh-circle
chairman of the Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA), said the
sale of birds had been affected and declined amid fear in
general public of outbreak of the virus. However, he said
the real picture of daily sale situation would be clear in a
day or two. According to him, 400,000-500,000 birds were
being slaughtered daily in Karachi.
Kamal Akhtar Siddiqui, general-secretary of the Karachi
Wholesalers’ Poultry Association (KWPA), claimed: “There
has been no decline in sales of poultry birds in the
city.” He said around 350,000 birds are being slaughtered
daily in Karachi.
The KWPA and the PPA release new price of poultry products
on every Thursday. Officials of the two associations did not
reveal whether the price would decline or increase on
Thursday.
PPA central chairman Raza Mehmood Khursand told Dawn from
Lahore that poultry sales had declined by 10-15 per cent in
the last two or three days. “Sales have recovered by five
to seven per cent on Wednesday after positive news that
there is no bird flu virus in Pakistan,” he said, hoping
that they would further recover in the next two or three
days, as “the situation is now under control in all over
the country”.
He recalled that due to negative media propaganda in
January-February 2004 about the spread of avian influenza in
the country, the industry suffered a loss of Rs25 billion.
At that time, poultry prices had dropped to Rs30-35 per kg.
Around 25,000 poultry farms are operational in Pakistan
involving an investment of Rs100-110 billion.
He said the PPA executive committee in its emergent meeting
in Lahore on Wednesday discussed the issue of bird flu virus
in the neighbouring countries. Mr Khursand said the
government had appointed/earmarked 12 laboratories at
different places and these laboratories had facility to
check and diagnose avian influenza. He said: “During the
last five months, more than 25,000 samples of migratory and
wildlife birds were examined at the laboratories and it was
revealed that no H591 existed in these birds.”
The PPA chairman asked the people to eat chicken and eggs
without any fear of disease.
According to the ministry of food, agriculture and livestock
(Minfal), avian influenza had claimed more than 90 lives all
over the world. Most of the countries around and bordering
Pakistan, including India, Iran, China, Turkey, Russia,
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and South East Asia, besides many
countries of Europe are increasing the risk of introduction
of the disease in Pakistan.
Pakistan is situated in two flyways — Central Asia Flyway
and East Africa-West Asia Flyway — thus the risk of
migratory birds bringing infection is significant.
Minfal has undertaken stocktaking of the preparation for
bird flu from February 22 with all provinces, Azad Jammu
Kashmir and northern areas and reviewed the preparedness
position. All provincial livestock departments in
collaboration with the wildlife department and health will
increase intensity of surveillance for both clinical/disease
occurrence and blood and faecal swabs.
According to the ministry, the number of surveillance teams
had been increased and all veterinarians of the country
would be involved in clinical surveillance. The number of
surveillance teams has been increased to 22 from 12 and
rapid response teams have been enhanced to 24 from six to
meet any untoward eventuality.
Minfal has been constantly monitoring the avian influenza in
the country for the last two years. Laboratory surveillance
has so far contained more than 12,000 blood samples, 7,000
tissue samples and 9,000 cloacal swabs. “So far no bird
flu strain H5 has been detected in Pakistan.”
The ministry, after approving a project of Rs40 million for
the control of avian influenza, has prepared another
national plan costing $6.8 million. The government has
already banned poultry imports from 22 countries, including
India and Iran.
Courtesy: The DAWN
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Pakissan.com;
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