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| Health
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| Centre mulls relief package |
| The Centre on Monday said it was considering a relief package for the poultry industry and farmers affected by the bird flu.
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| INDIA
, 28-January-2008
9:12:59 AM |
| The Centre on Monday said it was considering a relief package for the poultry industry and farmers affected by the bird flu.
''We are discussing the parameters of a relief package,'' Union Animal Husbandry Secretary Pradeep Kumar told reporters here.
He said that the agriculture ministry has called a meeting of the poultry industry on Wednesday to take their view on the matter.
''Nothing has been finalised as of now,'' the secretary said adding the government was also separately considering a package for farmers, who had lost poultry both to the disease and culling operation.
Kumar said that culling operations in West Bengal were expected to be finished in the next one or two days.
The state administration needs to put more teams in Murshidabad as over four lakh birds still are required to be culled.
''As per the current estimate, the target is about 27 lakh including all the affected districts,'' he said adding in South 24 Parganas and West Midnapore culling needed to be started.
Stressing on the need for mopping and disinfection operations once the culling was over, he said the natural mortality of birds due to the virus has seen a dip, which was a good sign.
''The natural mortality is not much except in Murshidabad, but still we are keeping our fingers crossed,'' he added.
Preliminary estimates
Noting that preliminary estimates of losses to the affected families was about Rs 150 crore, which would increase with further outbreak, Bhattacharjee said: ''The time has now come to consider economic losses incurred by the families.''
He said since backyard poultry rearing would not be allowed in the next three months, the state government has assessed that alternative animal husbandry schemes, such as sheep, goat and pig rearing would require at least Rs 75 crore.
''The Centre should provide 50 per cent matching grant for alternative rehabilitation schemes,'' he said.
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