Poultry Prices Decline as Rumors of Coronavirus through Birds Are Surfacing

Amid the havoc and chaos created by the deadly Coronavirus disease, many rumors have been spread on social media. One such rumor is that it spreads through birds. Owing to this rumor, those farmers who are involved in poultry farming are facing many problems. The poultry prices have sharply declined by 10 percent in the past few days as people are not willing to take any risks by consuming eggs and chicken. 

In Pune, broiler chicken, which was being sold to customers at Rs 73 per kg are now being sold at Rs 65, while in Delhi, these prices are going up to Rs 72 instead of Rs 80 a kg. These prices have significantly fallen down in comparison with last week's prices and the main reason is the popular rumor surrounding the symptoms of Coronavirus and its association with birds.  

Speaking of the declining prices of poultry, Balram Yadav from Godrej Agrovet, says, "Poultry demand has fallen by 10-15 percent in the past two days. Rumors surrounding the spread of Coronavirus through animals and chicken could be a reason. Prices of broiler chicken have declined by 10% across all categories." 

This epidemic has broken out in some cities in China and is spreading fast in other countries too. India being a territorial neighbor is more prone to catch the disease. Even a few cases of Coronavirus in India have been spotted in some places including Maharashtra and Kerala. The rumor of the spread of this virus through poultry does not have any firm grounds as the symptoms are yet not found in any bird, however, the virus is feared to be originated from bats in China. 

Many poultry farmers are facing low profits in the sale of high-feed, low-broiler, and eggs. Many farmers in Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar are protesting against this as this is causing harm to their business. However, there is no firm response from the associations.