Concern over steep fall in poultry exports due to bird flu

Chandigarh, Mar 17 (UNI) The Punjab Assembly today expressed its concern over the steep fall in the state's poultry exports as Chief Minister Amarinder Singh assured the House that the poultry business would soon be back on a fast track once the fear of bird flu was over.

''This heavy recession in the poultry in wake of the bird flu in Maharashtra has become a major problem on national basis,'' the Chief Minister said in the Vidhan Sabha, adding that the state government was already taking the steps required in interest of the poultry owners and workers.

The Chief Minister said the state government had also written to the Centre to discourage the ban imposed on the import of poultry products in several states.

The issue was raised by Balbir Singh Baath of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) during the zero hour as he stated that over 70 per cent of the total poultry exports of the state had come to a standstill.

The Akali MLA said nearly 3.5 lakh persons were directly dependent on the poultry farming and presently suffering heavy monetary losses.

The fear of bird flu had led to the ban on the import of poultry products in several northern states, he said while seeking an assurance from the Chief Minister for steps to be taken by the state government to meet this eventuality.

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