Poultry and egg sales show no sign of slipping

UK - The government's campaign of reassurance over bird flu appeared to be working yesterday with the big four supermarket chains reporting no change in sales.

In other European countries, the arrival of the virus provoked panic buying of tinned food and a fall in poultry sales.

But Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons said shoppers were continuing to buy poultry and eggs as usual.

The British Poultry Council said there was no evidence that the £3bn a year industry was being hit. Jeremy Blackburn, executive officer for the BPC, said: "It really is too early to see any impact yet."

But the poultry trade has suffered over the past few months as a result of the avian flu scares in France and Italy - where last year sales of chicken plummeted by 60%. According to the National Farmers' Union, wholesale poultry prices fell by more than 50% in late February as a result of a surge in shipments from French firms who were hit by the scare.

Source: The Guardian

8 April 2006