The poultry sector has incurred heavy losses of around Rs 1,750 crore in a month due to panic triggered by the spread of misinformation among meat eaters that the Coronavirus can be contracted by consuming chicken and eggs
The Coronavirus outbreak has brought nearly the whole world to a standstill with multiple countries going into lockdowns in an effort to minimise infection spread and casualties. These shutdowns are having a cascading effect on the economies of nations and many industries are going under.
However, one industry that is not just bearing the brunt of the shutdowns but is also reeling from the impact of false news and rumours surrounding the COVID-19 virus is the poultry sector.
The prices of poultry have plunged to Rs 10-30 per kg at the farm gate level due to a slump in chicken demand while the average cost of production is Rs 80 per kg.
Consequently, poultry breeders have 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 panic triggered by the spread of misinformation among meat eaters that the Coronavirus can be contracted by consuming chicken and eggs. This massive drop in sales of chicken and eggs has impacted the livelihoods of a large number of poultry farmers.
Although, the Coronavirus is a deadly disease, which has claimed countless lives around the globe, it certainly is not spread through the consumption of poultry and poultry products and this has been confirmed by scientific reports and studies. However, many irresponsible news agencies and websites are spreading misinformation.
Scientists say it is highly likely that the virus came from bats but first passed through an intermediary animal in the same way that another Coronavirus — the 2002 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak — moved from horseshoe bats to cat-like civets before infecting humans. Now, the Coronavirus is spreading globally primarily through people-to-people contact.
Taking note of the myths and misconceptions clouding the poultry industry, even the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI’s) chief GSG Ayyangar came forward to issue a clarification. He stated clearly that the belief that the Coronavirus will spread through eating chicken, mutton and seafood is nothing but a misconception.
Not the first time poultry sector has been hit: Unfortunately, this is not the first time that a virus that emanated from an animal has scared people and they have stopped eating chicken and meat due to it. In the 1980s, the mad cow disease spread in the UK, which was a result of farmers giving non-vegetarian feed to cows that affected their nervous system and triggered health concerns in humans as well.
Later it was established that eating chicken and eggs cannot cause mad cow disease. Similarly, zoonotic viruses such as Swine flu, which started in the pig farms of Mexico, and Ebola virus that was a result of consuming and handling uncooked bush meat had also caused a similar and unwarranted backlash against the poultry industry.
The most recent Nipah virus outbreak, which was found in people living closer to the habitat of bats, had also scared people off chicken and eggs. But the fact remains that except for the first outbreak in Malaysia-Singapore, which was related to contact with pigs and the outbreak in Philippines associated with horse slaughter, most other outbreaks in the Indo-Bangladesh region were associated with consumption of raw date palm sap contaminated by fruit bats. It had a very high secondary attack rate but was most certainly not spread through poultry consumption.
Chicken is safe and a crucial source of nutrients: Chicken is an essential choice for many healthy diets as it is high in protein and low in calories and carbohydrates. It is also a well-established source of B vitamins and selenium.
The nutritional elements of chicken aid in the metabolism of fats and sugars in the body that is necessary for our daily energy needs. Consuming chicken strengthens the bones as well and is responsible for maintaining healthy cells.
Due to the Coronavirus rumours, many people are looking for vegetarian alternatives like spinach and jackfruit but they cannot provide the same amount of nutrients as chicken. It is imperative, therefore, that the industry as well as the administration rise to the occasion and effectively counter the false narratives with facts.
In fact, the Union Health Ministry must step in to address all such miscommunications through regular advisories and press releases.
Poultry farmers must step up hygiene measures: The onus also lies on the poultry industry to initiate a series of measures towards raising safe and healthy poultry birds. Unhygienic breeding of birds in several farms and backyards has often been a cause for concern for consumers. The poultry industry must do its bit to boost consumer confidence. They must also adopt the use of safe and healthy solutions and alternatives to antibiotics such as bacteriophage-based poultry feeds to raise healthier antibiotic-free chicken. Poultry farms which take proper hygiene and preventive measures while raising their chicken can prevent any bacterial infections and virus in their stock. Government regulatory bodies must also keep a thorough check on poultry farm operations and issue media releases that squash unfounded rumors, which are affecting poor farmers as well as the industry. This will help in reviving the demand for chicken and eggs and help people get their required amount of nutrition that is necessary for good health.
(The writer is Senior Vice-President, Vetphage Pharmaceuticals)