Corona rumours affected sales of chicken, mutton and seafood in Kolkata

Corona virus has taken a heavy toll on various markets of the world. Markets of Kolkata are not different from other places. Due to the spread of it, chicken sales in Kolkata have reduced to less than half. Earlier, on an average 8.6 lakhs kilogram chicken was sold here daily, but now it has come down to 3.5 lakhs kilogram.

According to the West Bengal Poultry Federation, the prices of chicken have also fallen by 30-40% and sales have come down less than half in the month of March as compared to February. Business relations between Kolkata and China had been strong, but retail shopkeepers, who sell Chinese products are getting upset here due to the stoppage of import on various items from China.

The general secretary of the West Bengal Poultry Federation, told the BBC in an interview that the sale of chicken has been reduced by 40% due to Corona threat, its prices have also been reduced by 40% to 50%. Rate of chopped chicken was Rs 150/kg in January, but the rate has now come down to less than Rs 100/kg. He reiterated that the poultry industry got its back-bone broken due to fresh news and rumours spreading about this virus on social media every day. Corona virus has already created a loss of about Rs 350 crores till date.

Corona’s terror has also made an effect on the sale of eggs. Common people of Bengal use to take fish as well as eggs every day. It has been observed that sales are steadily declining and prices are also falling due to the drop in demand.

Even no case of virus spread out from chicken till date, however people are not turning to shops due to panic. Corona’s terror is increasing in common people rather than decreasing. There may be a reason for this – many people who were involved either in study, job or business in China have recently returned from the country; unfortunately they were being kept in isolation.

G S G Ayyangar, the FSSAI Chief, told that there has been no scientific evidence to show that corona virus spreads through eating chicken, mutton and seafood. He also told that the virus would not survive in higher temperature.

He commented that Corona virus was basically an animal virus. So, our country would not face much of a threat from it because it was a tropical country; and no virus would survive once the temperature would cross 35-40 degree Celsius.

Ayyangar also said that it was a matter of time that vaccine for corona would be developed because India has a good track of handling viral diseases; and the history would say that we have handled with Ebola and Avian flu earlier very well. Now, we have to take enough precaution to protect it from spreading.

So, what ever be the situation, the government is trying to isolate the virus. Once it has been isolated, some more time is required to develop a proper vaccine to eradicate the virus depending upon the complexity of its nature. The poultry owners demanded a relief package from the government demanding that their firms incurred a huge loss of around Rs 1750 Crores due to rumours and fake news on social media focusing that eating chicken could spread Corona virus.