With bird flu spreading its wings to more than one dozen districts of Madhya Pradesh, a fear has gripped non-vegetarians. They are desisting from chicken and eggs and this has resulted into steep fall in demand of poultry products. Even in Bhopal, demand of chicken and eggs has fallen flat. The income of poultry product shops has plunged to lowest level ever. Once these shops used to remain abuzz with crowd of non-vegetarians, jostling each other to place their order for chicken. In winter season, chicken demand always remains high. But this season, due to spread of bird flu, chicken demand has crashed.

 

Talking to ‘The Hitavada’, owner of chicken shop situated alongside Hoshangabad road, Niyaz told that chicken business has suffered badly in wake of bird flu fear. The demand of chicken has reduced by a whooping 80 per cent. Non-vegetarians are afraid from bird flu and are distancing themselves from chicken and other poultry products. Chicken shop owner of Jawahar Chawk area, Mushraf spoke to ‘The Hitavada’ and said that sale of chicken has taken the nose dive. “The sale of chicken has dipped by 80 per cent in wake of fear surfaced due to bird flu disease. People are too much afraid in eating chicken.

 

Now, only 20 per cent sale of chicken has been left and due to this reason chicken shopkeepers are suffering huge loss. The suppliers of chicken are worst hit as their orders (for supply of chicken) has seen steep fall,” he told. Even at grocery shops, people are desisting from buying the eggs and now they are focusing on vegetarian items. Till subside of disease, non-vegetarians want to keep safe distance even from eggs as well. Notably, chicken demand has reduced drastically even as bird flu case is yet to be identified in Bhopal.