Telangana Ministers Eat Chicken On Stage To Dispel Coronavirus Rumours

Many Telangana ministers ate chicken dishes in public to dispel fears that coronavirus is spread by eating chicken and eggs. According to ANI, ministers KT Rama Rao, Etela Rajender and Talasani Srinivas Yadav were among those who were seen digging into chicken pieces at a public event. Dressed in crisp white shirts and holding fried chicken legs, the ministers were seen at the event organised at Tank Bund area in Hyderabad on Friday by a leading chicken broiler selling company.

Chicken sales in India have come down over 50 per cent and prices by 70 per cent in the last one month as speculation swirled on social media that chicken causes coronavirus disease, denting both demand and prices. People have getting and sending messages which claim that eating chicken puts one at the risk of coronavirus infection.

The Coronavirus outbreak, which results in the COVID-19 infection, first originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan and has since killed more than 2,800 people. The World Health Organisation has declared the outbreak an international health emergency and raised the global risk level to 'very high'.

According to a PTI report, chicken sales in India is down by half while prices have come to one-third in some areas. The government has issued advisories that coronavirus does not spread from chicken and asked state governments to take action against rumour mongers.

Chicken sales have come down to 35 million birds a week from 75 birds a week across the country, while ex-farm gate prices have dropped over 70 per cent to Rs 35 per kg from Rs 100 per kg in last one month although the cost of production is about Rs 75 per kg, the report quoted  Godrej Agrovet Managing Director B S Yadav as saying.

(With PTI Inputs)