Poultry farmer's hard decade from SARS to H7N9(2)

Shi has insisted that his chicken is safe.

"I have raised chickens for over 20 years, feeding chickens and disinfecting the farm every day. I have never been infected by bird flu," he said.

No H7N9 infections have been reported on poultry farms. Poultry samples that have tested positive for the virus have come from live poultry trading markets, as well as a single wild pigeon in east China's Jiangsu Province.

The virus has sickened 77 people and killed 16 thus far.

"This is likely to become a significant crisis for the poultry industry in a decade," said Xiao Zhiyuan, president of the Guangdong Provincial Poultry Industry Association.

Some listed poultry companies has seen their share prices drop by as much as 9.48 percent since the virus appeared, Xiao said.

"The key point is that customers are losing their confidence (in the poultry products safety)," said one farmer from Zhejiang's capital of Hangzhou who requested anonymity.

Multiple food safety scares in recent years have led people to panic over the safety of poultry products, the farmer said.

Some farmers have left the industry over the past decade, having lost too much time and money to continue. But Shi is not ready to give up his company, ordering 8,000 chicks in preparation for a market rebound.

"Market demand will not increase, but instead surge after the bird flu is over," he said.

"It is impossible for people to refuse to eat chicken and eggs forever. I am confident in the market's recovery," Shi said, adding that he is expecting the government to issue support policies to help the industry weather the crisis.

Special report: H7N9 avian influenza