The Hindu Business Line : Don't chicken out of consuming eggs...

Consumers are in two minds on whether in fact, they could eat an egg a day - the compelling `Sunday ho ya Monday, roz khao ande' campaign notwithstanding. The NECC (National Egg Co-ordination Committee), along with the Poultry Development Council (PDC), is set to run a campaign to dispel rumours and instil consumer confidence.

Ms Anuradha Desai, Chairperson, NECC, told Business Line that chicken consumption was hit by about 10 per cent in key markets such as Delhi and though egg sales were not hit, a negative sentiment was perceived among consumers. "NECC and PDC would run campaigns from next week telling consumers to continue consuming eggs and chickens, as hygiene standards among poultry farmers in India were comparable to the best in the world." The hit taken in Delhi was significant, given that it is the trading centre for North India, NECC officials said.

Expressing concern over price fluctuations seen recently in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, she said that some traders were fanning rumours of bird flu being reported in the eastern regions of the country.

Ms Desai, who is also Chairperson of Venkateshwara Hatcheries (VH) Group, observed that though markets were recovering in the metros, the Rs 29,000-crore poultry industry needed to set the record straight, to prevent further setbacks. About 35 per cent of the total poultry sales are from eggs, she said.

"We are in a state of alert and have about 80 poultry diagnostic labs across the country that educate farmers even in interior parts of the country," she points out.

Meanwhile, Triton has been appointed as the agency to do the consumer awareness campaigns.

Mr O.P. Singh, Chief Executive Officer - VH Group, said that officials were working round-the-clock to put the campaign together. "The national level campaign, in print and electronic media, would be both in English and regional languages. The campaign would list facts on the poultry industry and encourage consumers to continue eating eggs and chicken. Though it would be part of the regular NECC campaign to encourage consumption, the next three months would see heightened visibility," he said.

Further, he points out that there is a larger dimension to avian flu in the global market. "Thailand accounts for 40 per cent of exports to the EU, West Asia and Japan, a market it has stolen from the US. Thailand has grown to the third position, behind the US and Brazil," and this could be one reason to discredit poultry exports from Asia, he observes. Asian poultry exports are an estimated $12 billion, he said.

Growth in a nutshell

The Rs 29,000-crore poultry industry, growing at 8-12 per cent, is tipped to surpass the automobile industry by 2005.

India is the fourth largest egg producer.

In terms of laying hens, the country has 164 million birds per annum.

Last year, 3,75,000 hens were examined for research/disease control through the Poultry Diagnostic Research Centre.

The industry employs 3.5 million poultry farmers, of whom 40 per cent are women.

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