Pfushuo/Alice
Dimapur/KOHIMA, March 12
Swine flu may have nothing to do with the consumption of pork, but people involved pork business have been feeling the heat ever since the first case of swine flu was detected in the state on February 16. The outbreak is shooing the consumers away from visiting their shops and they can feel the economic crunch in their pockets. Despite clarification from health department that swine flu is not caused/spread by eating pork, people are apprehensive in consuming pork as the number of deaths from swine flu – influenza A (H1N1) in India reached 1,500 this week and infecting more than 27,000 people. So far five persons have tested positive of Swine flu in Nagaland, according to latest report.
According to sources, pork sales have fallen in the commercial hub of the state Dimapur ever since the first case of swine flu was detected in the state. And given that the outbreak is showing no signs of abating, those in the business are not expecting better days in the near future.
A butcher in Dhobinala confirmed the situation by saying that the sales of pork have come down after January. On a normal business day, an average of 200 – 250 kilograms of pork is sold but the business has come down so much that they struggle to sell 150 kilograms of pork at the moment, the butcher rued.
When asked for the reason for the dwindling business, the butcher explained in a lighter vein, ‘Nagaland teh paisa khotom hoisey hola (maybe money is exhausted in Nagaland).’ However, in a more serious tone, he added people are scared to eat pork because of swine flu. A butcher in Puarana Bazar also said that the sale has come down but was not sure if the business was dwindling because of lack of money or swine flu scare.
Some butchers, on the other hand, seem to be doing pretty well in their sale. A butcher in Signal Basti said that the business is going on as usual. On an average, he said, 200-250 kilograms of pork is being sold everyday. Sometimes the meat is sold out fast and some days, we struggle to sale even 150 kilos the whole day but that’s part of business, he added.
In the state capital Kohima the business is not affected as much as it did in Dimapur.
When initial news about the outbreak of swine flu came out in the media, there have been some few reports of slight drop in sales of pork in some places as it is not uncommon for the people to connect the label “swine flu” (H1N1) with pigs and their meat (pork). However, health officials have assured that people cannot contract the virus from pigs/pork. The state health department’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) cell has also been circulating awareness that swine flu is transmitted from human-to-human by infected particles in the air and not transmitted by pigs.
Butchers’ Union Kohima Town president, Neizhiengulie when contacted, said that the recent swine flu outbreak has not affected the sales of pork in the state capital. He said there has not been any report of decrease in demand for pork.
“The sales in our shop went down a little two weeks back for a couple of days… It could have been due to people’s fear of the sickness or just slow days, but now the sales are normal,” says Medo, who runs a shop (pork) in a central market place in Kohima.
