Bird flu scare: Chicken sales dip by 50-75% in Bihar

Patna, Jan 12 : Bird flu or avian influenza scare is having a big impact on poultry business in Bihar with chicken sales dipping by 50-75 per cent across the state.
Kalimudin Ansari, a chicken seller at Boring Road in Patna, said that though no confirmed case of bird flu has been reported from anywhere in the state, customers are not coming to their shops.
“Customers are apprehensive about bird flu due to news reports on digital platforms, TV channels and newspapers. Only the known customers are coming to our shops to buy chicken,” Ansari said.
Another chicken seller, Shahnawaj Alam, said: “Bird flu scare has created panic among the people. Hence, our sales have gone down by 50 to 60 per cent.” Chicken sellers are feeling the heat in other districts of the state as well.
The scare of bird flu gripped Bihar after chickens and crows were found dead in Mujaffarpur and Bettiah, respectively, last week.