Hyderabad’s Love for Chicken Stays Strong Despite Bird Flu Concerns
Despite worries about bird flu, Hyderabad’s love for chicken dishes, especially its famous Hyderabadi biryani, remains strong. The government has placed restrictions on poultry sales to prevent the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). However, this has not affected the city’s appetite for chicken-based meals. Restaurants and street food stalls continue to serve chicken dishes, showing the resilience of Hyderabad’s food culture.
Many expected chicken consumption to drop due to health concerns, but the reality is different. Chicken prices in Hyderabad have stayed mostly stable, with no significant decrease in demand.
Popular hotels and restaurants are still serving their usual chicken dishes, and customers do not seem to be worried. Ali Raza Kazmi, the owner of Lucky Group of Restaurants, confirmed this trend. He said, “Sales of chicken dishes have remained stable. Our patrons continue to indulge in their favorite dishes, including biryani and starters.”
Fast food items such as shawarma and chicken 65 are also in high demand. Mohammed Hadi, the owner of Shawarma Hut in Jubilee Hills, mentioned that while flu cases in nearby states have caused supply issues, his business has not been affected. “The flow of customers remains constant,” he said.
As of Wednesday, the price of live chicken in Hyderabad ranged between Rs 80 and Rs 120 per kilogram. Dressed chicken was sold for Rs 180 to Rs 200 per kilogram. Markets such as Murgi Chowk near Charminar and Nampally continue to be busy poultry trade centers.
Omer, a wholesale trader at Murgi Chowk, shared his views. He explained that bird flu outbreaks usually happen during seasonal changes. However, since Telangana has not reported any bird flu cases, they are still supplying chicken to both retail and wholesale customers. There has been a slight drop in wholesale sales over the past two days, but the supply to hotels and restaurants remains unaffected.
Due to the bird flu outbreak in neighboring Andhra Pradesh, the Telangana government issued a high alert on Tuesday. Officials have been instructed to monitor the situation closely and improve biosecurity measures to stop the virus from spreading. As a precaution, Telangana has stopped poultry supplies from Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. The state has also set up 24 check posts to prevent poultry-laden vehicles from entering from these states.
