Chicken trade picks up

Fears of avian flu in the district seem to have waned during the past week with sale of chicken and eggs gradually picking up. Trade sources said chicken, which used to fetch as low as Rs 15 a kg three weeks ago is being sold at Rs 35 a kg at present. Traders are hopefulof the situation further improving in the coming days.

The curbs on the import of poultry and eggs from neighbouring states have also been removed. The import of poultry registered a 50 per cent increase in the past two days.

The government had earlier made it mandatory for chicken and eggs from other states to sport a clearance certificate from the Departments of Health of the respective states from where they came from.

B Ashok, director, Department of Animal Husbandry, told Business Standard that the bird flu fears didn't exist as of now. The samples sent from different parts of the state to the High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory in Bhopal have also tested negative.

With precautionary measures still in place and fears of avian flu almost off, combined with well charted out campaigns that proclaim that well-cooked chicken is safe to eat, have evoked a sense of safety among the people.