Karnataka Poutry Traders' Association said chicken stalls sold four lakh kgs of meat daily but the offtake had dipped to 1-1.5 lakh kgs a day now, hitting about 60 per cent of the normal business.
The association at a press conference here sought to allay fears in the minds of the people, stressing that the avian influenza (H5N1) broke out only at Central Poultry Development Organisation (CPDO) nearby Hesaragatta, leading to deaths of only Turkeys.
"All other chicken produced in Karnataka, like broiler, are unaffected. There is not a single case of poultry farm labourer or those working in chicken stalls or those who ate chicken having been infected with birdflu", association General Secretary K N Nagaraju said.
He pointed out that experts have said chicken cooked above 70 degrees celsius was safe for eating.
Karnataka has 44 lakh poultry farm families, while two lakh people work in some 25,000 stalls here.
"Poultry farmers, traders and workers are in distress", the Association said, pleading with the people to start eating chicken again.
The avian influenza at the CPDO claimed the lives of 3,600 turkeys last month.