Amidst widespread rumours regarding spread of bird flu, general public has started to abstain from eating chicken, inflicting heavy losses to the poultry industry to the tune of Rs0.25 to 0.3 billion each day. In just five to six days, the poultry industry suffered losses of Rs1 to one and a quarter billion.
In Karachi alone, thousand of infected chicken have been culled. In Pakistan, the disease was identified in 2004 after which it is being reported each year. This developed distrust among the chicken consumers in the country.
After indication of bird flu, a drastic decrease in demand of chicken meat has been noticed. According to Pakistan Poultry Association, the total consumption of chicken meat in the country is three million kilograms each day. Whereas in Karachi only, the consumption is 0.35 million kilograms. The increase in the prices of chicken meat is also due to its increased consumption and demand. Due to decrease in its prices, an increase in its consumption is being noticed, whereas an increase in prices is followed by a slight decrease in chicken consumption.
Before the indication of bird flu, chicken (alive) was being sold at Rs74 per kilogram, whereas one from the farm was being sold at Rs60-62 per kilogram. But after the rumors or indication of bird flu, the prices went down to Rs40 per kilogram and for one from the farm to Rs30 per kilogram. 
The poultry farm owners in District Badin that is considered the home of poultry industry in the country suffered heavy losses. Many of the wholesale dealers cancelled their orders. A number of poultry farm owners tried to sell their chicken at throw away prices but they didn’t succeed in it. In the local hotels and households, consumption of pulses and vegetables increased as against chicken meat.
This, on the other hand, resulted in a significant increase in the prices of vegetables and pulses. Butchers increased the prices of red meat from Rs130 per kilogram to Rs160 per kg and that of boneless from Rs150 to Rs190 per kilogram.
Taking advantage of the situation, the grocers, too, increased the prices of vegetables from Rs10 to Rs50. All this made things difficult for the general public. Pakistan Poultry Association holds the view that no one in the world has died of eating chicken meat or egg, and that transfer of bird flu virus to human beings was difficult.
It is important to mention here that vaccines amounting to Rs300 million are used annually to save chicken from the deadly virus. According to Pakistan Poultry Association Chairman Abdul Basit, during the period 2004-08, the rumours related to spread of bird flu resulted in losses of billions of rupees to the poultry industry. Some 40 per cent of the poultry farms were forced to close down, whereas the business of the rest of the 60 per cent was affected. It is important to note that in the last five years, no person has fallen victim to the deadly virus, but the rumours have rendered thousands jobless.
According to an estimate, more than twenty five thousand farms are functioning in the country. In the province of Sindh, there are about 10 to 11 thousand farms. The poultry industry employees about 1.3 million people, while showing investment in the sector to the tune of $0.2 trillion. On the other hand, chicken feed, bio and agri-products cost Rs45-50 billion annually.
After a lapse of five years, the government, realizing its responsibilities, has decided to get the poultry farms formally registered.
According to member Livestock and Dairy Development Board Khurshid Ahmed Qureshi, no case of bird flu was reported in the country. All this is being done just to sell the vaccines, he said, adding that in past, too, people came up with rumours and turned millionaires overnight. He alleged that one of such persons was a federal minister in the present caretaker setup.
It has also been said that an American company by the name of Chemi Flu introduced a vaccine and just to sell it spread the rumours regarding bird flu. Pakistan Poultry Association says when there is no confirmation of bird flu in the country, there is no point in using the vaccines. And that is why the government can’t press poultry farms to go for vaccinations. They say the government was requested to reduce the price of the vaccines, but it wasn’t approved.
According to Poultry Production and Research Officer Dr Aslam Jalali, vaccination of all egg laying chicken in the province of Sindh has taken place. Experts are of the view that if chicken meat is cooked at 60 degrees centigrade, the virus is killed. Normally, the cooking temperature used in households is around 100 degrees centigrade. It is yet to be found out that presence of bird flu is a myth or a reality in Pakistan.