SATISH HANDA
Poultry business is facing severe crisis due to lock down declared in the country. A survey conducted at Ambala the second biggest egg producing centre in the country having hundreds of poultry farms in the area especially at Barwala and Raipur Rani belt. Information reveals, consumption of eggs in twin city has witnessed nearly 85% drop during lock down period because all hotels, restaurants, dhabas, street venders and non-vegetarian counters near liquor vends having large consumption of eggs and mutton products remained closed during this period, as such poultry sector suffered loss worth crores of rupees and in few cases reported in Haryana state poultry farmers were compelled to burry alive poultry chicks when unable to meat their expenses due to extremely poor demand. More over, egg stocks could not be despatched to other destinations in the state as well as other states including Chandigarh and Delhi wholesale eggs storage centres in North having huge demand of eggs due to non-availability of transport services remained paralysed during lock down.
Above all, the consumption of eggs was adversely affected by the rumours that eggs and meat is very harmful spreading corona virus, whwreas eggs are known as super food possessing protein and other nutriteous contents providing energy tobody. According to health experts, eggs contain higher quantity of Phosphorus, Vitamin D and Calcium to make bones strong as well as useful for eyes due to availabilyy of Vitamin A. According to information, earlier nearly 30000 eggs were being sold every day in Ambala Cantt, which have now been reduced to 3500 to 4000 eggs everyday and on the other hand cost of production of eggs has much increased due to fast exceeding cost of feeds and labour expenses increased between 40-50 percent in past couple of years. As told by a wholesale eggs merchant at Ambala Cantt, earlier he used to sell nearly 1000 trays in a day now selling maximum 300 trays in a day at the rate Rs 2.68 each egg in wholesale. According to poultry farmers production of eggs in their farms have declined by nearly 70%.
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