Financial Times

Poultry industry worries over consumption patterns
By Nimesha Herath and Lashica Abeywickrama
Sri Lankan consumers are concerned about the threat of bird flu even as producers report a drop in consumption.

Dr D. Wanasinghe, President, All Island Poultry Association said there had been a 15 percent drop in consumption patterns of chicken meat. Yakooth Naleem, Managing Director, Bairaha – one of the country’s largest producers -- said there may be a need to promote chicken consumption and the precautions that are taken against the threat of bird flu to assure the public that it is safe to consume this meat.

“The public needs to be educated on bird flu by professionals in the field and on the many precautions taken so far. The industry needs to join together and inform the public in this regard.” Lalith Pathirana, Chief Executive Officer, Maxie’s said, “consumers have nothing to fear. The chicken is at least 90 percent boiled and well cooked before its ready to be eaten.

There is no possibility for any virus to retain in the chicken once it is 60 percent boiled. The drop in demand is because the people are alarmed about the bird flu threat.”

Naleem says that this downfall in consumer consumption is only a minor set back to the industry. “It’s the poultry farmers who are the worse hit.
They are losing income because consumers are reluctant to eat chicken. Yet scientifically we are not affected. And Sri Lanka is geographically at an advantage to fight this threat,” he said.

Having said that Sri Lanka is ready to meet the challenges of the ongoing bird flu threat, the country’s poultry industry in undoubtedly concerned that the threat could trigger falling growth and sales.

Mahinda Ganepola, Executive Director, Cargills Quality Foods, said “since the threat has not yet reached our country this time, still there is no drastic downfall in sales figures. But if Sri Lanka gets affected, consumers might shift to fish and other products. Those who do not import chicken don’t face much difficulty over the bird flu threat.”

Pathirana said the government has imported protective clothes and other equipment to prevent any possibility of the spread of bird flu once detected.

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