Poultry farmers hit the road to encourage people to eat chicken

Poultry farmers and vendors led a road show through the streets of Benin's main city Cotonou before dining with government ministers on chicken and eggs to persuade people that poultry products are safe to eat despite bird flu striking three countries in the region. Poultry farmers and sellers, producers of local skinny birds nick-named ‘bicycle chickens,’ and large- and small-scale commercial operators – all of whom have seen earnings plummet since bird flu erupted in neighbouring Nigeria last month – gathered on Tuesday to say that eating poultry is safe. “This plague does not preclude the consumption of chickens and their products, especially as bird flu is not even present here in Benin,” said Lionel Guezodje, head of the national association of poultry breeders and sellers, who claimed chicken sales had dropped by 75 percent due to the bird flu scare. Africa’s first case of the deadly H5N1 virus, which can infect and kill humans, was confirmed in Nigeria in early February. The Benin government immediately banned imports of live poultry and poultry products and to date no cases have been found in Benin. But bird flu has since shown up in two of Nigeria's other neighbours - Niger and Cameroon. Though H5N1 can jump to humans from close contact with live and dead infected birds, there have been no registered human cases of bird flu in West Africa to date. Agriculture Minister Fatiou Akplogan, who attended Tuesday’s event, reminded consumers that basic precautions should be taken in preparing chicken. “Wash chicken meat well before cooking,” said Akplogan, adding that beyond 70 degrees the virus is not active. Before tucking in to a chicken lunch at the international conference centre in Cotonou, Akplogan appealed to the public to choose “chickens and eggs made in Benin”. While the demonstrators dug into their chicken meal, nearby market stalls where poultry sellers usually run a brisk trade were quiet, without a customer in site. “I normally sell an average of 30 chickens a day,” said Leontine Ahouanse, a vendor on Saint Michel market. “But since the arrival of bird flu in Nigeria I hardly sell even one chicken a day and the situation is getting more alarming by the day as they discover bird flu in more countries – Niger and now Cameroon. “I have no trade other than selling chickens,” she added. “This is the trade that my Ma did all her life, and me too – since my childhood. I was brought up doing this.” Nearby, poultry pluckers and egg sellers sat with their heads in their hands hoping for a customer. “I pluck chicken with my four children; their father is dead,” said chicken plucker Ginette Assogba. “I pay rent. We have to eat and pay school fees. What will become of us?” she said as she broke into sobs. Restaurant owners are struggling, too. “Ever since the disease was announced in Nigeria, clients have become rare - the number went down day by day until they didn’t come anymore,” said Marie Bide, who specialises in grilled chicken but has decided to diversify her menu to include grilled fish. Despite the repercussions for local poultry workers and Tuesday’s publicity campaign, many consumers remained steadfast in their rejection of chicken. “I don’t eat chicken or eggs any more, especially as most of the eggs sold here come from Nigeria and bicycle chickens come from the villages near the Nigerian border,” said Rosine Bocco, a civil servant. “I’m sticking to fish!”