Package for affected poultry farmers

By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Dec 13: With H5N1 virus spreading fast to fresh areas in Asom, including Guwahati, the State Government has come with a slew of sops in the form of enhanced compensation, bank loan interest subsidy and bird fodder for the affected poultry farmers and commoners who do not rear chickens and ducks for large-scale commercial purpose. The government has set the target of culling 5.31 lakh poultry birds in the phase 1 up to December 16. Till now, 3.18 lakh birds have already been culled and 1.6 lakh eggs destroyed in the State.
Talking to newsmen here today, Asom Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said: “In Guwahati, occurrence of H5N1 virus has been detected at Kharguli, besides Khanapara. This apart, test reports of Sivasagar, Lakhimpur and Baksa districts are awaited. Preventive measures have been taken there.”
So far there is risk of H5N1 virus spreading from birds to humans, but if the spread of the virus is not checked now, the day is not far when the virus will spread from man to man, Sarma said quoting experts. “Culling soon after detection of H5N1 virus is the only way left for us in the present situation in the State,” he said.
To make the poultry farmers and commoners rearing poultry birds cooperate with the Veterinary department in the ongoing culling operation, Sarma said: “Besides the Central Government’s compensation at the rate of Rs 50 (Rs 40 for broiler) and Rs 75 respectively for each chicken and duck culled, the State Government will provide Rs 40 for each chicken and Rs 50 for each duck culled with retrospective effect i.e from November 29 when the first culling operation began in the State. In the areas under surveillance — ranging from three to ten km adjacent to the exact places of occurrence of H5N1 where sale and movement of poultry birds have been prohibited — the State Government will provide Rs 10 against each chicken or duck as cost of fodder.”
Poultry farmers who had taken bank loans but incurred huge loss due to the culling operation, Sarma said, will be given subsidy on their loan interest by the State Government. He said poultry farmers will also be given financial assistance so that they can shift to other vocations.
To allay the fear of occurrence of H5N1 in the bird sanctuaries of the State, Sarma, quoting Forest Department sources, said: “As many as 37 samples of birds from the sanctuaries of the State were sent to Bhopal and Pune for laboratory tests, but the reports came out negative for avian influenza.”
On the over 100 Upper Respiratory Track Infection (URI)-affected people in the State, Sarma said: “They are under constant observation of the Health Department in their respective houses.” To minimize the time for getting the test report, he said, the State Government is contemplating on setting up of a laboratory in Guwahati to test occurrence of bird flu.