nhk world's michitaka yamaka reports from beijing. >> reporter: city restaurants are losing a lot of money as many customers have stopped ordering poultry dishes. it's enough to tempt wary diners. orders have dropped almost 50%. >> translator: we're very concerned about the damage caused by unfounded rumors. it's a very serious situation for us. >> reporter: food shoppers are also buying less poultry, both processed and unprocessed. so prices are falling. they are down by 20% to 30%. since the first case reported in beijing. the price of eggs has also fallen by as much as 30%. >> translator: for the good of my health, i'm trying not to eat chicken. >> translator: i don't know how long the situation's going to last, but i'm really concerned. >> reporter: the spreading disease is having an impact on people's daily living. some are taking their own preventive measures. this man works for a company in beijing. he began washing his hands more often. he lives with his wife and daughter. among them they keep more than 50 medical masks. >> translator: i am very frightened about the outbreak.

michitaka yamaka, nhk world, china. >>> populous, prosperous. an income gap divides it's people, pollution threatens their health, and disputed seas strain relations with their neighbors. find out about the challenges china faces on "newsline." >>> farmers from a town evacuated in the wake of the fukushima nuclear crisis are headed for the rice paddies once again. they're preparing to plant their first crop in three years. and authorities are hoping this will help revive the local economy. an agricultural company started planting rice seeds in nurseries on monday. authorities plant rice on experimental basis last year and they were able to confirm that radiation levels remain below government regulations. farmers will start transferring the rice plants from the nurseries to the paddies in early may. >> translator: we've been waiting for this moment for a long time. growing rice again means getting our hometown back. we want to show that to everyone. >> more than 5,000 residents evacuated the town after the nuclear accident. only 10% of them have