Bird Flu Effect: Hyderabad’s Chicken Biryani Sales See Huge Drop

Hyderabad, renowned for its iconic biryani, is grappling with the fear of bird flu, leading to a significant decline in chicken biryani sales across the city. Many popular restaurants have reported a sharp drop in demand for chicken-based dishes over the past few days.

Restaurant owners reveal that despite the government’s advisory urging caution without imposing a ban on chicken consumption, people are choosing to avoid it entirely. This shift in consumer behavior has resulted in a surge in the sales of mutton dishes, consequently driving up mutton prices.

Previously, restaurants prepared around 50-60 handis of chicken biryani daily, compared to just 10-15 handis of mutton biryani. However, with the current decline in chicken demand, the number of chicken biryani handis has reduced, while the preparation of mutton biryani has doubled or even tripled in several establishments.

The concern stems from the recent rise in H5N1 avian influenza cases reported in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. In response to the outbreak, state governments have advised citizens to exercise caution while consuming poultry products. While there is no official restriction on chicken sales, the ongoing fear continues to impact Hyderabad’s food industry significantly.