Srinagar: The outbreak of H5N1 (Avian influenza) in neighbouring states, followed by the ban on import of poultry into Jammu and Kashmir, has caused a huge drop in sales of chicken in the valley.
The government order issued on Thursday banned the import of poultry and unprocessed poultry meat till January 14. The order was issued after Himachal Pradesh and Haryana reported many cases of H5N1, also known as Bird Flu.
Tariq Elahi, member of the Kashmir Valley Poultry Farmers Association (KVPFA) and owner of the Elahi Poultry in Budgam, told Kashmir Reader, “For the past four days poultry farmers have been facing massive losses, with almost 50% decline in sales. Some days ago we were selling chicken at Rs 112-115 per kilogram but now the rate is Rs 90 per kg due to low demand.”
He added, “There has never been Bird Flu in the valley, not even a single case. In the past, in 2006 and 2016, many cases of Bird Flu were found outside J&K due to hot temperatures and other reasons, but in Kashmir there was never any flu among the chickens. People don’t need to panic; they can eat chicken and it’s safe because we don’t have any flu in the valley. Earlier, the Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) also said it is safe to eat properly cooked poultry meat.”
Meanwhile, there are reports of crows dying in three districts of Jammu region. The authorities said they have collected samples to ascertain whether these deaths are related to Bird Flu or not. The deaths have been reported from Udhampur, Kathua, and Rajouri districts.
Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, President of KVPFA, said that poultry industry in Kashmir is losing almost 50 lakh rupees per day and 30% decline in sales for the past four days. “As president of KVFPA, I myself appealed to the authorities to stop import of poultry for the safety of the people,” Bhat said. “It is a good step taken by the authorities to ban the import of poultry till 14th January.”

Naveed Ahmad Najar