Bird-flu becomes bane of B'baria poultry farmers
Thursday, 21 February 2008
Our Correspondent
BRAHMANBARIA, Feb 20: The poultry farmers in the district are counting huge losses every day as the sales of the poultry birds have come down drastically due to Avian influenza panic, widely known as bird-flu.
Although the viral disease of birds has not yet been detected in the district, most people are reluctant to buy chickens.
In the kitchen markets of the district town, prices of poultry birds came down to Tk 75 from Tk 95 per kg due to lower demand of the same.
Even the restaurant owners, let alone general public, have stopped buying chickens as the customers hardly order for chicken dish these days.
Taking loans from the Department of Youth Development (DYD) and local non-government organisations (NGOs), many unemployed youths in the district had set up small poultry farms here to become self-reliant, sources added.
According to District Livestock Department (DLD), there are some 208,640 broiler chickens in 323 broiler poultry farms, 131,360 layer chickens in 50 layer poultry farms and 51,050 ducks in 85 duck poultry farms in the district.
Brahmanbaria District Avian influenza Prevention Committee (DAPC) recently arranged the preparation meeting six times and inspiration meeting twice at the deputy commissioner's (DC) conference room recently to check the spread of the bird-flu virus, official sources added.
Brahmanbaria municipality officials continue spraying medicines on the poultry shops in the town kitchen markets to check the spread of bird-flu. DLD also is spraying VIRKONS, TIMSON liquid, etc. germ destroying medicines at Akhaura Land Custom Station, Bangladesh-India Border area.
DLD staff are monitoring the poultry farms all the times. They have also taken steps to increase awareness against bird-flu among those who nourish poultry birds every day.
Poultry farm owners apprehended that they might be forced to shut down their farms in the near future if the prices of poultry birds continued to come down due to bird-flu.
Meanwhile, preventive medicines such as Casumix Plus (H), Poleaxe and CSBS are selling at exorbitant prices in local markets.
In the situation, the poultry farm owners in the district have sought an urgent action in this connection.
BRAHMANBARIA, Feb 20: The poultry farmers in the district are counting huge losses every day as the sales of the poultry birds have come down drastically due to Avian influenza panic, widely known as bird-flu.
Although the viral disease of birds has not yet been detected in the district, most people are reluctant to buy chickens.
In the kitchen markets of the district town, prices of poultry birds came down to Tk 75 from Tk 95 per kg due to lower demand of the same.
Even the restaurant owners, let alone general public, have stopped buying chickens as the customers hardly order for chicken dish these days.
Taking loans from the Department of Youth Development (DYD) and local non-government organisations (NGOs), many unemployed youths in the district had set up small poultry farms here to become self-reliant, sources added.
According to District Livestock Department (DLD), there are some 208,640 broiler chickens in 323 broiler poultry farms, 131,360 layer chickens in 50 layer poultry farms and 51,050 ducks in 85 duck poultry farms in the district.
Brahmanbaria District Avian influenza Prevention Committee (DAPC) recently arranged the preparation meeting six times and inspiration meeting twice at the deputy commissioner's (DC) conference room recently to check the spread of the bird-flu virus, official sources added.
Brahmanbaria municipality officials continue spraying medicines on the poultry shops in the town kitchen markets to check the spread of bird-flu. DLD also is spraying VIRKONS, TIMSON liquid, etc. germ destroying medicines at Akhaura Land Custom Station, Bangladesh-India Border area.
DLD staff are monitoring the poultry farms all the times. They have also taken steps to increase awareness against bird-flu among those who nourish poultry birds every day.
Poultry farm owners apprehended that they might be forced to shut down their farms in the near future if the prices of poultry birds continued to come down due to bird-flu.
Meanwhile, preventive medicines such as Casumix Plus (H), Poleaxe and CSBS are selling at exorbitant prices in local markets.
In the situation, the poultry farm owners in the district have sought an urgent action in this connection.