MUMBAI: Retail prices of chicken have reduced marginally on the back of the bird flu scare in north India, although the disease is not known to beset poultry farms in and around Mumbai as yet.
Retail rates of unbranded chicken dropped by Rs 10-15 per kilo Saturday as consumers started to stay away, and poultry farmers began to dispose birds in a hurry.
Broiler rates in retail markets fell from Rs 95 per kilo to Rs 75 on Saturday. Vencobb published rates reduced from Rs 90 to Rs 80.
"Visuals of bird flu having struck north Indian states has had a psychological effect in Mumbai. This is causing a few consumers to keep and farmers in the villages are selling off birds at a cheaper rate fearing that they may remain unsold. However, not a single case of infected poultry has come to light in Maharashtra. We ourselves own chicken farms near Panvel and our birds are healthy as before," said Asad Khan of Aziz Poultry, Bandra.
Abdul Hafeez Qureshi a trader in Goregaon, reported that sales had dropped by up to 50%. The owner of another chicken shop, also named Aziz Poultry, at Four Bungalows in Andheri said the price of a live bird had fallen by Rs 20 on average from Rs 180 to Rs 160.
A negligible drop was perceived in the rate of eggs. Prices are merely two or three rupees lower than last week, averaging Rs 72 per dozen as compared to Rs 75.