Bird-flu has been confirmed in two poultry farms of Chitwan, often referred to as the poultry capital of the country, in less than two weeks.[break]
Himalayan Fresh House said demand for chicken went down to 60 kg on Sunday. The store used to sell around 80 kg on normal days. “Naturally, people are reluctant to consumer poultry products after reports of bird-flu. Our sales, however, have not been affected much,” Deepak Pandey, proprietor of Himalayan Fresh House, said.
Bird-flu was confirmed in two poultry farms of the district on Friday. However, price of chicken remained stable at Rs 280 to Rs 300 per kg. Egg price also remained unchanged at Rs 255 per crate (30 pieces).
District Livestock Service Office (DLSO) has culled around 55,000 heads of chickens in the two affected farms.
“People should not stop consuming chicken as poultry products in the affected farms have already been destroyed,” Chandra Man Shrestha, president of Poultry Entrepreneurs Forum, said. He further added that farms take poultry products to market only after DLSO certifies that the products are suitable for human consumption.
Around 10 tons of chicken and 1.1 million pieces of eggs are produced each day in Chitwan.
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