'Mobile culling is need of the hour'
With the avian flu hitting India once again and birds being culled manually, there is a need to relook at the method of culling being adopted.
By Arun Iyer, TNN |
BANGALORE: With the avian flu hitting India once again and birds being culled manually, there is a need to relook at the method of culling being adopted. Poultry experts say India could have a mobile culling system (MCS) that would provide culling facility at the doorstep of the poultry farmer itself and thus localise the whole process.
At present, the government of the state which has been impacted by avian flu, despatches a team of veterinarians and officials of the state animal husbandry department to oversee the culling process, something which experts believe is not hygenic as there is the risk of infection spreading. “An MCS can be more useful on two counts. It can provide culling service at the doorstep of the poultry farmer and, as it is mobile, it can cover a large area preventing possibility of further spread of the viral attack,” sources told ET.
India has a unique system of mandis (market yards) where birds from different farms are brought and traded live. This is true for almost 95% of the broiler business in India, which is currently estimated to produce 1.9 billion broilers in 2007-08. At some of the market yards, birds are slaughtered under conditions that may not be as hygienic as required.
India is reeling under attack of the dreaded avian flu though no human casualties have been reported till date. The first report of avian flu happened in 2006-07 when some parts of Maharashtra and Gujarat were hit by the virus.
An MCS comprises of slaughter facility mounted on a long truck or a separate trailer can have all the systems from killing, scalding to chilling under the watchful eyes of a veterinarian or a trained technician/inspector who will be able to do a ante/post mortem inspection.
However, an MCS doesn’t come cheap and could cost upwards of $80,000 and this kind of system is already in use in countries like Thailand besides developed economies.
At present, the government of the state which has been impacted by avian flu, despatches a team of veterinarians and officials of the state animal husbandry department to oversee the culling process, something which experts believe is not hygenic as there is the risk of infection spreading. “An MCS can be more useful on two counts. It can provide culling service at the doorstep of the poultry farmer and, as it is mobile, it can cover a large area preventing possibility of further spread of the viral attack,” sources told ET.
India has a unique system of mandis (market yards) where birds from different farms are brought and traded live. This is true for almost 95% of the broiler business in India, which is currently estimated to produce 1.9 billion broilers in 2007-08. At some of the market yards, birds are slaughtered under conditions that may not be as hygienic as required.
India is reeling under attack of the dreaded avian flu though no human casualties have been reported till date. The first report of avian flu happened in 2006-07 when some parts of Maharashtra and Gujarat were hit by the virus.
An MCS comprises of slaughter facility mounted on a long truck or a separate trailer can have all the systems from killing, scalding to chilling under the watchful eyes of a veterinarian or a trained technician/inspector who will be able to do a ante/post mortem inspection.
However, an MCS doesn’t come cheap and could cost upwards of $80,000 and this kind of system is already in use in countries like Thailand besides developed economies.
Too busy to trade in stocks? Invest in Mutual Funds with ET Money!
Bookmark or read stories offline -
Download ET Markets APP
Download ET Markets APP
ADVERTISEMENT
