The poultry industry needs to be declared an emergency sector immediately to save the country’s huge poultry farmers from an impending disaster, experts said on Friday.
They voiced the concern as the booming poultry industry has been struck by avian influenza that reportedly infiltrated into the country from neighbouring West Bengal.
‘Thousands of poultry farmers have been compelled to shut down their farms following a sharp fall in the prices of poultry products after the reported attack by avian influenza.
Now this sector should be declared as emergency sector to save the lakhs of farmers,’ the president of World Poultry Science Association, Bangladesh Chapter, Moshiur Rahman, told the media.
He said, ‘No one has so far died after eating poultry eggs or chicks, but people have got panicked after the media reports on outbreak of bird flu virus among poultry chicks in Bangladesh.’
Moshiur Rahman said poultry traders have set up 11 check posts across the country from where medicines are being sprayed on poultry eggs and chicks before they are sent to markets. ‘Only setting up of check posts or spraying medicines on the poultry products or culling the poultry birds cannot help.
People must also be made aware that avian influenza will not inflict them if they eat chicks and eggs after boiling them adequately,’ he said. Livestock expert Dr Manjur Aziz urged the government to consider the poultry industry as the top most priority sector as employment of thousands of farmers is at stake.
‘The poultry industry has the potentials to steer Bangladesh towards rapid economic progress like the garment and shrimp industries. Now this booming sector is facing a severe threat following the avian influenza attack.
The government should take adequate efforts to tackle the threat effectively,’ he said.
Source: The Commercial Times
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