States urged to help poultry farmers

New Delhi, July 19 (UNI) Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Minister Sharad Pawar urged the state governments to extend all help to poultry farmers to overcome the problem created by birdflu outbreak and implement the relief packages effectively.

''Though the poultry industry had suffered heavily because of the outbreak of bird flu this year, India would be in a position to declare the country free from this disease very soon,'' Mr Pawar said addressing a conference of State Secretaries and Directors of Animal Husbandry on Avian Influenza.

He called upon the state governments to implement the central package for poultry farmers and said that the Central Government would have no hesitation to improve the package in case of any practical difficulties.

Mr Pawar stressed on the need to take necessary steps for containing outbreak of any poultry disease in future.

The state governments should promptly bring to the notice of the central government any complex disease situation and should act as per the action plan provided by the central government to ensure that adverse impact to poultry industry is minimised, he said.

Effective awareness campaign should also be taken up to remove any misgivings in the minds of the people, he added.

He said that India remained free from Avian Influenza till mid-February 2006. Avian Influenza has been circulating for centuries with four known outbreaks recorded in the last century itself.

The present wave of Avian Influenza commenced in Hongkong in 1997. The first outbreak in India occurred in 2006 and was notified on February 18, 2006. In view of the global threat of outbreak of Avian Influenza and apprehensions of a human pandemic sounded by international organisations like World Health Organisation (WHO), World Organisation of Animal Health (OIE), and the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), it was necessary to take steps to ensure preparedness in case of an outbreak.

As part of this preparation, the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Government of India (DADF) had prepared an Action Plan. The Draft Plan was discussed in a meeting held with the State Secretaries of Animal Husbandry.

UNI/BKS ARB HT1905