Bird flu fear has brought down the sale of chicken by about 60 per cent in the city, affecting over 45 lakh people who are dependent on the industry.
Members of the Karnataka Poultry Traders’ Association said that the sale has come down from 4 lakh kg of chicken per day to 1-1.5 lakh kg now.
The association sought to allay fears in the minds of the people, stressing that the avian influenza (H5N1) broke out only at the Central Poultry Development Organisation at Hesaragatta.
“Broiler and other chicken, which are reared in Karnataka, are unaffected. There is not a single case of a poultry farm labourer or those working in chicken stalls or those who ate chicken having been infected with bird flu,” association general secretary K.N. Nagaraju said. He pointed out that experts have said chicken cooked above 70 degrees Celsius is safe to eat.