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Bird flu: As sales dive, shops in Panchkula stop stocking eggs
With eggs finding few takers in the wake of detection of bird flu in Panchkula district, some shopkeepers have stopped stocking eggs, leaving residents looking to buy them hassled
With eggs finding few takers in the wake of detection of bird flu in Panchkula district, some shopkeepers have stopped stocking eggs, leaving residents looking to buy them hassled.
“Ever since bird flu was confirmed in the district, demand for eggs started falling, so we stopped stocking them. Earlier, we would sell eggs by the tray, but now we have stopped ordering them,” said Ashok Kumar, proprietor of Chandigarh Provision Store, Sector 9, Panchkula.
Those who are still selling eggs, claim their sales have dived drastically.
Proprietor of Jai Maa Devi store at Mansa Devi Complex, Sector 5, Sunil Kumar said customers were preferring the much costlier branded eggs. “The price of a tray of 30 eggs has decreased from ₹200 to ₹160, yet people are interested in buying branded eggs, which can cost as high as ₹390 for six eggs.”
Taking note of this, president of Panchkula Beopar Mandal, Bobbee Singh said, “Shopkeepers choosing not to stock eggs can cause problems. Awareness is needed. The Beopar Mandal will reach out to the shopkeepers and assure them that it’s safe to sell eggs.”
In a health advisory, the Haryana animal husbandry department had said that poultry products can be cooked and consumed as usual with no fear of acquiring avian influenza virus, as it was sensitive to heat.
Chandigarh stores report lower sales too
Meanwhile, retailers in Chandigarh are also complaining that demand for eggs has plummeted. Nitish Singla, a grocer from Sector 48, said, “A tray of 30 eggs would cost around ₹200 a week back. Now, people are unwilling to purchase it even at ₹150 per tray. Only 30% of our customer base is still interested in buying eggs now.”
Anirudh Thakur, a grocer from Sector 23, also confirmed that egg sales at his store had dropped by around 40% in the past few days.
