Coronavirus has hit India and how!
With over four dozen cases and growing rapidly, this pandemic disease has hit the travel and aviation industry. But what came as a shocker is that the people of India have entirely rejected chicken, mutton or any kind of meat.
Although the rumours about meat poultry spreading the virus have been put to a stop by several pieces of research and studies, people are still petrified to consume them. The government is also running several campaigns to make people aware of the truths and myths of the disease. The government has denied all kinds of rumours linking the disease and meat. But, there has been a rapid decline in the poultry and the meat industry.
Coronavirus has only increased the fear of meat amongst the people. And, the meat lovers have been searching for healthy alternatives. What emerged as a winner is also quite a shocker. It is our humble Jackfruit also known as Panasakaya or Kathal. The prices have skyrocketed so much that Panasakayawhich was earlier sold at INR 50-60 per kilogram is now being sold at INR 120-150 per kilogram. It is now higher priced than chicken as the demand for chicken is reducing drastically. And, in fact, in some places, Jackfruit is completely sold out in the markets while some markets are not hesitating to sell them for INR 200-300 too.
Several people have come out and recommended people to choose Jackfruit over chicken. Biryani which is usually a meat-based rice dish is now being made with Jackfruit. And, while all this is going on, the meat industry is trying to bounce back hard. The Poultry Farm Association has already organized a Chicken Mela at Gorakhpur, to encourage people to try their delicacies. Over 1000kg of chicken was used to make several mouth-watering dishes and were sold at only INR 30. While the mela was a huge hit and the food was all sold out, it did pretty much nothing to the meat industry.
The public continues to thrive on Jackfruit and are looking for other alternatives for chicken and meat. So, tell us, what would you choose? Listen to the experts and continue eating your favourite meat or savour delicacies made with Jackfruit?
