Chicken sells in black market in Prome

Tuesday, 24 February 2009
by Mizzima News
Prome (Mizzima) – Despite the authorities banning the sale and transportation of poultry and eggs following the outbreak of the Newcastle disease in Prome, the sale of banned items thrive in the black market.

With the ban lasting nearly two months, the prices of poultry and eggs fell to half and sale of the products began in the black market.

"The poultry products are not being sold in the market openly. But we can buy them if we want and its sale thrives. Most of the buyers are from low income groups of daily wage earners and odd job workers. Earlier, they could not afford to buy them. The prices of poultry products fell to Kyat 200 per 10 ticals (5.76 oz) from Kyat 350-400. The price of an egg is Kyat 80," a local resident said.

Poultry farm owners are transporting chickens and eggs to Naypyitaw and Rangoon markets on the sly to cover the expenses incurred by daily chicken feed, chicken meat shop owners and chicken feed shop owners said.

In the Rangoon market, chicken can fetch at least Kyat 4,000 per 1 viss (3.6 lbs) and an egg is Kyat 100.

The outbreak of avian flu was first reported in Mandalay and Sagaing Divisions, and then it was detected in Pegu, Rangoon in the second round. Finally the severe Newcastle disease (twisted neck disease) outbreak was first reported in Prome.

At least 9,000 chickens and quails have been culled in poultry farms in Myothit, Prome.

"The authorities instructed poultry farm owners to cull all the birds in the farms including meat chicken. Only some egg chicken farms in Prome town area were spared culling. Now the culling drive has been extended to rural area in Prome. Over 9.000 chickens and quails have been culled in town areas alone, excluding the numbers culled in rural areas," a staff from a chicken feed shop said.

During the outbreak of the diseases, MRC Company owned poultry farms in Nyaung Nha Pin, outskirt of Rangoon which had 20,000 chickens was burnt down in a bushfire, an Animal Husbandry Department announcement said.

The Animal Husbandry Department is planning to move all poultry farms in Pyinmana, Naypyidaw areas to outside the town areas by the last week of this month.