Poultry sector faces Rs1,750cr losses due to coronavirus rumours; demands relief package from govt

Poultry breeders on Monday demanded a relief package from the government claiming that the sector has incurred heavy losses of around Rs 1,750 crore in a month due to fake news that coronavirus was spreading due to chickens.

Poultry bird prices have plunged to Rs 10-30 per kg at farm gate level due to a slump in chicken demand while the average cost of production is Rs 80 per kg, the All India Poultry Breeders Association (AIPBA) said in a representation to the Ministry of Animal Husbandry.

"The repeated onslaught of social media with wrong information on consumers has shaken consumer confidence and depleted the demand for chicken products," AIPBA Chairman Bahadur Ali said.

The loss of broiler farmers, integration companies and breeding companies put together was about Rs 1,750 crore during the third week of January till the third week of February, he said, adding that it has created "massive crisis" and forced poultry sector to "bankruptcy".

Expressing concern that the "fake" coronavirus threat spread by social media among consumers has created a massive problem for the poultry sector, Ali said, "If these conditions persist in March going forward a loss of Rs 1,750 crore per month will be additional."