Corona Effect: Farmers and poultry farm owners feel the crunch

The coronavirus outbreak has started to show its impact on the Indian markets. Whether due to lack of information, precaution or misinformation, people have decided to avoid certain products sending the markets in turmoil. One such sector affected by the corona effect is the poultry sector. The poultry sector has seen a steep fall in its product prices as people have started to shun eating poultry products in a bid to avoid contracting the virus.

Hubli/Ballari (Karnataka): The outbreak of coronavirus has dealt a major blow to the poultry as well as vegetable markets in the state. The prices of chicken and vegetables have seen a steep fall due to coronavirus.

Frustrated with the low prices, a farmer in Hubli has destroyed the cabbage crop which he grew in one and a half-acres of land.

A farmer named Basareedi Aladakatti had grown cabbages after taking a loan from the bank. When he started the cultivation of cabbage, the price was 2-3 thousand per quintal, but now because of coronavirus, the price has fallen to Rs 1000 per quintal.

Frustrated with the fall in the prices of vegetables, farmer Basareddi destroyed his entire cabbage crop by driving a tractor over it.

In another case of corona effect, the poultry breeders and poultry farms are going through a financial crisis. Some have even decided to close shops to avoid starvation.

Scared of coronavirus, people have decided not to eat poultry products. Due to this reason, the owners of poultry farms and poultry breeders are facing a financial crisis of nearly 2 - 3 crores.

After the effect of Coronavirus in the market, poultry farming and sale of poultry products has reduced significantly. "We used to purchase maize and sprout for poultry farming, but presently, that also has stopped," said Durgaprasad, owner of a chicken shop.

"Before the effect of Corona, we used to sell chicken meat at a price of Rs 70, now we are selling it at the rate of Rs 6, but the customers are not coming to the shops to purchase the meat. If this continues, definitely we will have to suffer from starvation," he added.