Bhubaneswar, Dec. 30: This New Year's Eve, blame it on bird flu if there's no chicken on your plate.
Chicken items remain most popular on the menu on the New Year's Eve parties due to their affordability as compared to Mutton. But, the bird flu threat in Khurda district has resulted in a panic among the people, who want to be safe than sorry. Even a nosedive on the price of chicken in the wake of the bird flu has failed to attract buyers.
Syed Ghouse, a chicken trader at Unit-IV, said business had been badly hit by the bird flu threat this year. "Normally, we get several bulk orders for more than 100kg chicken around this time every year. But this time, I have not got any bulk order. Regular sale of chicken has also been affected," he said.
Chicken traders' loss has become fish sellers' gain. While the price of chicken has gone down by Rs 10 to Rs 30 a kilogram in the market, the price of fish has gone up by the same amount. Rohu fish was being sold for Rs 170 per kilogram today, while the price was around Rs 150 a kilogram even a few days ago. The price of medium-size prawns has also shot from Rs 300 to Rs 320 a kilogram within a week.
The state government has made it clear that it is safe to consume chicken despite the flu threat. A World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline also mentions that chicken is safe to eat if cooked properly. But, that does not seem to change the mind of health-conscious people, who have already planned their New Year party menu with mutton or fish dishes.
Fisheries and animal resource development department commissioner-cum-secretary Bishnupada Sethi also said eating chicken was safe.
"Chicken prices have come down at Kochilei market from Rs 150 to Rs 120 per kilogram. But, it is a question of health, and we do not want to take any chance. So, I have decided to refrain from using chicken as a snack item for the party tomorrow. I have planned to have rohu fish fry for my party guests in place of chicken pakoda," said Basant Acharya, a finance professional who lives at Rasulgarh. He said most of his friends had also replaced chicken with fish on their party menus.
City hotels that are planning New Year bashes with buffet dinner have also limited the use of chicken. Some have even struck chicken items off the list.
Debendra Behera, the manager of a premium hotel at Satya Nagar, said people always checked the menu before selecting a hotel for ushering in New Year.
"We cannot take any chance. So, we have decided to exclude items, such as chilly chicken and chicken biryani, from our New Year menu this time," he said, adding that fish and prawn items had replaced chicken dishes from the menu.
However, some hotels have also decided not to change their menu. "Chicken consumption is safe and since it helps us keep the buffet price down, we have decided not to change our menu," said Sanatana Mohanty, the food and beverages manager of a hotel at Chandrasekharpur.
