The Hindu Business Line : Take care of birds: Pune farmers' SOS to Govt

In a sorry state
Farmers are selling birds at Rs 2 per kg against Rs 60 previously.
The Pune industry had lost Rs 24 crore last month due to Navapur scare

Pune , March 16

"Either you take the birds and feed them or take the blood samples to the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal and let us know whether these birds really have birdflu. And, compensate us for the loss that is being incurred on a daily basis."

This is what a group of poultry farmers, numbering close to 350 has represented to the District Collector of Pune.

`Only option is to kill'

Talking to Business Line, Dr Khedkar, who led the group to the District Collector's office noted that the group has requested the Government to take these birds into their custody on or before Saturday, as the farmers are not in a position to feed the birds. "The only option left to us is to kill them," he said. He noted that there were about 75 lakh live broiler birds lying in different areas of Pune.

He noted that Jalgaon, from where the new scare has come only has backyard poultry and was basically being kept for captive consumption. These farmers were now being offered compensation for the scare and "we are requesting the Government to give us compensation of Rs 50 per kg," he said. Dr Khedkar noted that poultry farming in Pune district contributed 35 per cent of the State's total poultry population and about 50 lakh broilers were produced on more than 2,500 farms in the district every month.

Creating panic

He pointed out that bird flu news from Navapur in February and Jalgaon in the recent days had created panic among consumers. As a result, the poultry farmer was now selling his birds at Rs 2 per kg as against the price of Rs 60 per kg. Dr Khedkar also pointed out that all the inputs required for the poultry was purchased by way of bank loans. But in the present scenario nobody was ready to supply the feed or medicines on credit.

"So we are now helpless and cannot afford to feed the birds beyond two days. Even if we supply feed to these birds with the help of the loan and sell the birds at the rate of Rs 5 or Rs 6 we will be unable to pay the creditors and also to survive," he said.

Pune had lost Rs 24 crore last month due to the birdflu scare at Navapur. This scare has resurfaced due to the death of about 250 chickens at Maval taluka yesterday and the supply of chicken from Maval area has been banned.

It was stated that the deaths could have occurred due to unhygenic conditions in which the chickens were kept and not necessarily due to birdflu. However, samples have been taken for further investigations.

Dr Khedkar said the farmers have been requested to meet the District Collector on Saturday to decide on what action would be taken from the Government side for this new outbreak.