April 18, 2025

Bird flu continues to keep Telangana, India poultry industry on the edge

 

 

The recent bird flu fears in Telangana, India, have significantly impacted the poultry industry, leading to farm closures, price fluctuations, and heightened biosecurity measures.

 

Nearly 30 poultry farms in Nizamabad and 50–60% of farms in Kamareddy have shut down, according to Nizamabad District Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Officer Dr. M. Rohith Reddy and Kamareddy District Officer Dr. Sanjay Kumar. The closures have led to a chicken shortage, and farmers are waiting before resuming operations.

 

Dr. Rohith Reddy pointed out that no bird flu cases have been confirmed in Nizamabad.

 

"Suspected incidents were reported months ago in two locations, but lab tests returned negative," Dr. Reddy said. "As a precaution, check posts have been set up at Kandukrthi (Renjal mandal) and Salura to restrict the entry of poultry and fodder from other Indian states. Awareness programmes were conducted, and farmers have been advised to adopt scientific poultry management practices."

 

Meanwhile, chicken prices have increased. Following the flu scare, government departments supplied eggs to schools and pregnant women, with no complaints reported. Demand for country chicken has gone up in recent months, the departments said.

 

A recent survey by the Animal Husbandry department found that while layer farm owners suffered losses, poultry farmers associated with corporate companies were largely unaffected.

 

Nizamabad has 45 layer farms with a capacity of 1.125 million birds, with a yield cycle of 75 weeks. The district's 140 poultry farms house 1.074 million birds, sent to market every 45 days. There are 552,000 country chickens in the district. No other bird species were recorded, according to the survey.

 

Forest officials stated that no poaching or hunting incidents have been reported in recent times.

 

Dr. Sanjay Kumar confirmed that there were no bird flu cases in the district. The district has 178 poultry farms and 45 layer farms with a combined capacity of 1.374 million birds. Around 50 to 60 farms are presently inactive, he said.

 

Thousands of poultry deaths were reported in Narsapur, Siddipet, and Medak areas of the erstwhile Medak district over the past weeks. Although suspected to be bird flu, officials have not confirmed the cause.

 

In Siddipet, a large number of birds were culled recently. In Medak's Papannapet, carcasses were dumped into the Manjeera river, and a similar case occurred near the Mallannasagar canal. At Kangal (Thoguta mandal), bird flu was confirmed, and approximately 65,000 birds were culled. Access to the farm was restricted, and staff underwent health checks.

 

In Narsapur, some country birds reportedly died from suspected flu. Chicken sales dropped sharply, though they are now recovering. Prices have risen from ₹100 (US$1.20) to ₹250 (US$3.00) per kilogramme, said local retailer Khaja.

 

Poultry farmers and traders in Medak and Siddipet districts have faced heavy losses due to the outbreak.

 

There is no bird flu outbreak in the erstwhile Warangal district, officials confirmed. All 118 farms in Hanamkonda are operational. Mulugu district has two poultry farms. Warangal has 118 poultry farms, 37 of which are currently closed. Nearly 150 farms in Jangaon are currently empty due to bird flu concerns.

 

Warangal joint director of the Animal Husbandry department, Dr. M. Balakrishna, said that no cases have been reported, but preventive measures have been taken. Awareness campaigns were run, and check posts set up at Eturunagaram (Mulugu) and Mahadevpur (Bhupalapally), he said.

 

"Veterinary teams are conducting routine inspections and vaccination checks. No suspicious cases have emerged, and chicken sales remain stable, with some increase in demand," Dr. Balakrishna said.

 

The chicken market in the erstwhile Adilabad district is gradually recovering. Prices rose from ₹120–140 (US$1.45–1.70) to ₹200–220 (US$2.40–2.65) per kg since February.

 

Chicks are mainly transported from Maharashtra and Hyderabad, with most current supply coming from Maharashtra. In February, bird flu cases led to the setting up of check posts along the Maharashtra border, halting bird transport. These restrictions have since been lifted as business improves.

 

According to Dr. P. Sudhakar, joint director of Animal Husbandry, no farms were closed due to bird flu in the district. Recent poultry deaths were attributed to heatwaves and humidity, not flu. During summer, broiler farms often shut down, while layer farms continue operations.

 

There has been no major impact on chicken prices, which stood at ₹240 (US$2.90) per kg on April 11.

 

Bird flu has been detected by authorities in Gundrampalli village of Chityal mandal in Nalgonda district, and in Nelapatla and Dotigudem villages of Choutuppal mandal in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district. However, no bird flu cases have been reported in Suryapet district.

 

In March, around 184,000 chickens infected with bird flu were culled in two poultry farms in Gundrampalli, Chityal mandal. Poultry farms within a 10-kilometre radius were tested as a precaution.

 

In Nelapatla village of Choutuppal mandal, 53 chickens and 36 kg of feed were destroyed. In Dotigudem, 39,000 infected chickens were culled, along with the destruction of 91 metric tonnes of feed and 19,000 eggs. Authorities stated that if over 100 chickens die at once, it is treated as a suspected bird flu case. Upon being informed by poultry farm owners, officials collect samples and take immediate action once the disease is confirmed.

 

Officials said that there are 540 poultry farms in Nalgonda, 280 in Suryapet, and 460 in Yadadri districts.

 

Meanwhile, chicken sold in local centres across the erstwhile Nalgonda district is supplied by poultry farms run by companies like Vencobb, Suguna, India Broiler, Premium and Sneha.

- The New Indian Express