Bird flu rumours spoil West Bengal's poultry party
Widespread panic over the possible outbreak of avian flu in Siliguri has left the Rs 800 crore poultry business in north Bengal in the lurch.
By Debasis Sarkar, TNN |
SILIGURI: Widespread panic over the possible outbreak of avian flu in Siliguri has left the Rs 800 crore poultry business in north Bengal in the lurch. Though not a single case of avian flu has been confirmed, rumours continue to pull down the market.
The news of the death of some 2,500 chickens in a local farm near Siliguri in just two days spread across the whole of north Bengal, Sikkim and in some areas of the North East. The regional laboratory in Jalpaiguri has reported the case as a commonly occurring poultry disease called “New Castle” along with Gambaru virus infection.
To confirm elimination of the possibility of avian flu, samples have been sent to the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal from where reports are yet to come.
“After two days of high chicken mortality in a particular farm, things have been normal since last Tuesday,” said BB Roy, deputy director in the department of Animal Resources Development.
But the panic has already damaged the poultry market of North Bengal. Siliguri is the trade hub for poultry products worth over Rs 500 crore from north Bengal alone. Moreover, it handles an additional inbound trade worth over Rs 300 crore annually from Andhra Pradesh and Punjab. The stock caters to north Bengal, Sikkim, parts of Bhutan and lower Assam. Over two lakh workers are directly or indirectly dependent on 10,000 farms in North Bengal.
“In addition to the nearly 50% fall in demand, the market is facing over 30% rate cut,” said Sumit Ghosh of Compound Livestock Feed Manufacturers Association of India. Volume buyers from Sikkim, lower Assam and north Bengal have stopped procuring produce from here. “The market may get stabilised in the next three four months, but it would be difficult for small farmers to absorb the shock,” he said.
“Even during the last avian flu panic in 2006, not a single bird from this place was reported to have H5/N1 virus infection. But the market suffered because of panic,” said Mr Ghosh.
However, while talking to ET on the issue, officials from the district administration said: “We will take all necessary steps to quieten the panic once we receive test reports from Bhopal negating the possibility of a H5/N1 virus infection.”
The news of the death of some 2,500 chickens in a local farm near Siliguri in just two days spread across the whole of north Bengal, Sikkim and in some areas of the North East. The regional laboratory in Jalpaiguri has reported the case as a commonly occurring poultry disease called “New Castle” along with Gambaru virus infection.
To confirm elimination of the possibility of avian flu, samples have been sent to the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal from where reports are yet to come.
“After two days of high chicken mortality in a particular farm, things have been normal since last Tuesday,” said BB Roy, deputy director in the department of Animal Resources Development.
But the panic has already damaged the poultry market of North Bengal. Siliguri is the trade hub for poultry products worth over Rs 500 crore from north Bengal alone. Moreover, it handles an additional inbound trade worth over Rs 300 crore annually from Andhra Pradesh and Punjab. The stock caters to north Bengal, Sikkim, parts of Bhutan and lower Assam. Over two lakh workers are directly or indirectly dependent on 10,000 farms in North Bengal.
“In addition to the nearly 50% fall in demand, the market is facing over 30% rate cut,” said Sumit Ghosh of Compound Livestock Feed Manufacturers Association of India. Volume buyers from Sikkim, lower Assam and north Bengal have stopped procuring produce from here. “The market may get stabilised in the next three four months, but it would be difficult for small farmers to absorb the shock,” he said.
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“Even during the last avian flu panic in 2006, not a single bird from this place was reported to have H5/N1 virus infection. But the market suffered because of panic,” said Mr Ghosh.
However, while talking to ET on the issue, officials from the district administration said: “We will take all necessary steps to quieten the panic once we receive test reports from Bhopal negating the possibility of a H5/N1 virus infection.”
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