With the recent reports of avian influenza (bird flu) in Kerala, poultry consumption in Coimbatore region has also dropped, resulting in decline in broiler chicken prices.
B. Sundararajan, Managing Director of Suguna Foods, told The Hindu here on Thursday that there is a 30 per cent drop in broiler consumption in the last one week and retail prices have also fallen.
This has resulted in nearly Rs. 250 crore loss to the sector in the region, he said. In the last 10 years, there is no report of bird flu from a farm in the organised poultry sector. And, in Tamil Nadu, almost 95 per cent of broiler farms are in the organised segment. However, it is the fear among consumers that has hit consumption.
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Almost 10 per cent of broiler production in the State goes to Kerala. Apart from the decline in purchase in that State, there is a fall in consumption in this region, too. This has resulted in the fall in prices. “We expect prices to start looking up from next week,” he said.
The State Government is alert and this is a welcome move. There is a need to educate the customers and the industry has already taken measures for it, he said.