A large number of poultry shopkeepers have closed their businesses and started vending the vegetables and fruits to earn their livelihood in Southern Punjab as the rumour of bird flue once again gripped the area.
Hoteliers are also avoiding the use of chicken and preferred Mutton, beef or vegetables because customers were not demanding chicken cuisine. When inquired this scribe, hotelier Mian Hanif said, "We are facing loss because there is no margin of profit in mutton items because it is available at Rs 220 per kg in the Market and it beyond the reach of common man."
Prices of live chicken and meat continued to show depressing trends on Sunday as the wholesale rates at farms' levels went down to Rs 35 per kg, resulting in retail price around Rs 45 per kg.
After the Minfal confirmed the incidence of H5N1 in poultry farms near Islamabad on April 16 and that farm workers admitted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), the chicken market has seen continuous depression.
The farm owners in the vicinity of Multan have deliberately depressed their production to the "safe breakeven" limits. The retailers want to keep them just financially afloat, avoiding heavy production because of fear that their stock may not be sold.
The retailers, when asked if the chicken were being brought from Islamabad and Rawalpindi, replied in negative and said Multan was 400 miles away from Islamabad. However, they were obvious of the situation of neighbouring cities like Jhelum, Kharian, Attock, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Lahore and Sheikhupura.
Regarding consumption patterns, the retailers told that people were reluctant to buy chicken due to the recent hype about H5N1, however, there was a small section of public that still opted to eat, thinking that extensive cooking potentially made it safe for human health. They were, however, skeptical about the anticipated rush in the prices of chicken once the scare was over.
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