The All Meghalaya Poultry Supplier and Retailer Association has assured the general public that bird flu is not spreading in Meghalaya and that the chicken they buy is safe to eat.
A press conference was called for by the association today to categorically state that rumours being spread on social media with regard to bird flu in the state are not true.
Association president B Kharchandi said that rumours began spreading on June 15 using edited photos to claim that people who eat chicken and/or eggs will fall ill.
“We have met the concerned authorities and the Director of the Veterinary Department and they have also confirmed that no such reports have come to them,” Kharchandi said, adding that the association monitors poultry supplies to see that no sick or diseased birds are sold in the market. “We have also met doctors from the Veterinary Department who assured us that if there were bird flu in the state, the government would have issued a notification.”
A complaint has also been registered with police regarding the fake rumours.
He further informed that the reason for the high price of poultry in Meghalaya is because the main suppliers are in West Bengal and they face hurdles while travelling through Assam, leading to the increase in price.
