ALAPPUZHA: The duck business has picked up in Kuttanad during the Christmas-New Year season after it suffered crippling blows due to the bird flu recently. A number of shops have come up from Kidangara to Pallathuruthy on the Alappuzha-Changanassery stretch which sell ducks at Rs 325 each weighing one-and-a-half kg. Jojo Thundiyil, a duck shop owner from Mankompu, says the customers now mainly arrive from Changanassery, Kottayam, Thiruvalla and Pala. However, there is shortage of ducks as new stocks are not available anywhere in Kuttanad.
Over 7.5 lakh ducks were culled in Kuttanad and surrounding areas in the wake of the bird flu outbreak. J. Raju, another meat seller from Mankompu, says there was good demand for ducks due to Christmas and New-year week. Samuel Pallipad, secretary, All-Kerala Joint Duck Farmers’ Society, points out the industry has overcome the setback suffered due to the bird flu. “Though it is a '10-crore business, this time we expect only half of the turnover,” he adds.
