Cuddalore Poultry Crisis: 50,000 Chickens Dead, Tamil Nadu Farmers In Disaster
Poultry farmers in Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore district are facing a severe economic crisis following the unexplained death of nearly 50,000 chickens. While avian influenza has been ruled out by initial tests, authorities are awaiting further laboratory results to identify the cause of the outbreak.
Why it matters
The mass mortality of livestock threatens the livelihoods of local farmers and could impact regional food supply chains ahead of the peak Diwali season.
Mohan, a poultry farmer in Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore district, is a shattered man. He has lost 7,000 birds over the past week, watching his investment and livelihood crumble as an unidentified disease sweeps through poultry farms in the district.Mohan is among several poultry farmers caught in a crisis that has reportedly claimed nearly 50,000 chickens across several villages in Cuddalore over the past six days. The outbreak has triggered panic, with large-scale culling of birds and burial of dead chickens underway. Farmers are staring at huge economic losses, with the crisis striking just ahead of the peak Diwali season, when they would normally expect business to pick up.For Mohan, the financial burden is mounting by the day. A single chick costs around Rs 47-48, while a 50-kg bag of poultry feed costs between Rs 2,500 and Rs 2,600.
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