Poultry stocks in focus amid reports of avian influenza outbreak

Street worried that the spread of the disease will impact near-term demand for companies like Venky's and Godrej Agrovet

Shares of poultry breeder Venky’s (India) and feed producer Godrej Agrovet are down as much as 7 per cent and 2 per cent, respectively, in the last three trading sessions (even as the Sensex was flat) amid reports of fresh concerns over the outbreak of avian influenza (also known as bird flu).

Earlier this week, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying confirmed bird flu cases have been reported from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Kerala. Consequently, state governments and ministries concerned have been proactively taking steps to curb the spread of bird flu.

In a bid to contain the