Poultry import banned after bird flu fears
By Adnan Rafique
ISLAMABAD—Muhammad Ismail Qureshi Secretary Ministry of Food,
Agriculture and Livestock has said that government has been active to
effectively tackle the bird flu crisis in the country.
In an official statement issued Saturday secretary said that ministry of
food and agriculture is continuously monitoring the bird flu situation
around the world.
He said that government has already suspended the import of poultry
products from the affected countries include Thailand, Indonesia,
Vietnam, China, Cambodia, North Korea, Laos, Russia, Kazakhstan,
Magnolia, Turkey, Greece and Romania.
It was also mentioned that a national monitoring plan for bird flu has
also been set up in the country which includes a central reference
laboratory for avian influenza at National Agricultural Research Center,
Islamabad.
According to the statement 12 satellite laboratories have also been
established through out the country, these laboratories will collect
samples from suspected out breaks as well as different types of normal
poultry and send to laboratories for evaluation and confirmation of the
infected disease.
The central laboratories has been directed to monitor the wildlife for
the presence of the bird flu stance.
It is feared that alarm over bird flu will seriously affect the poultry
industry in the country. This will automatically bring down the prices
of poultry products particularly broiler chicken that is already noted
to have fallen from Rs. 75/- per Kg to Rs. 60/- per kg in a single day
after the spread of news of bird flu in the country.
It is also believed that bird flu is a sort of influenza, which may
deadly infect both birds especially domestic poultry and humans. It is
therefore necessary that the government has taken a very serious note of
spread of the disease in the country, said Secretary MINFAL.
It is learnt that Pakistan Poultry Association is also being
invited in the meeting to provide their input. Government has allocated
an initial sum of 40 million rupees for monitoring and surveillance of
avian influenza in the country, he added. An inter-provisional meeting
has been called on Monday the 24th October 2005 where a detail
discussion will take place in strategy to involve all stake holder will
be evolved. |
