Minister wants poultry farm loans recovery deferred

Kharar, Mar 1 (UNI) Punjab minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries, Jagmohan Singh Kang, today said that as the bird flu threat has put Punjab poultry business in doldrums, the recovery of outstanding loans to poultry farmers should be deferred for at least one year.

In an informal chat with media-persons here yesterday the Minister said that though no case had been reported in Punjab, the bird flu reports from Maharashtra caused panic amongst poultry farmers and consumers here. The result had been a steep fall in consumption, demand and prices of eggs and poultry products, he said.

The Minister wrote to Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on the decision of the Jammu and Kashmir government imposing a total ban on import of poultry and eggs from Punjab. This decision had jolted the flourishing poultry business here, he added.

Mr Kang was of the opinion that immediate relief be given to the Punjab poultry farmers till a suitable compensation methodology was adopted.

UNI HS SHR KP1614