sharon sanders
Editor-in-Chief & President
Sale of substandard vaccines: poultry farmers worry about spread of diseases
ANWAR KHAN KARACHI (August 16 2008): The Sindh Livestock Department's inaction towards eliminating the menace of counterfeit, substandard and unregistered vaccines has caused more worries among poultry farmers about the spread of diseases, particularly the lethal form of bird flu. Recently, farmers requested the Minister for Livestock Abdul Haque Bhurt at the second meeting of the Sindh Poultry Board (SPB) to provide them with original vaccines.
The ministry assured them that action would be taken against vaccine sellers who break the law. Farmers have now again complained that the original vaccines for poultry chicks are rarely available in the market. They say the provincial Livestock Department has paid no heed to this issue.
Farmers were to hold an important meeting on this issue with the Minister for Livestock but it did not materialise as the minister abruptly rescheduled the date and time for the meeting. Other than this, no contact has been made from the department, they complain. They say this "is a genuine issue, which is going to hit the industry in long run, [it] should be tactfully addressed before it reaches uncontrollable stages."
High costs of production has forced 45 percent of poultry farms countrywide to completely close down, they say, adding that government should give small loans to farmers enabling them to shore up their declining businesses. They demand that the government ban the export of maize, saying that its unavailability in the local market has increased their costs of production. They suggested that the government should only allow the export of maize when local demand has been fulfilled.
The poultry farmers concerns rose after the country started maize exports for the first time in its history, with the prospects of bumper crop this year. It is expected that the country is likely to receive 3.7 million tons of the commodity crop as compared to some three million tons last year, witnessing a 23 percent growth roughly. The crop is believed to be higher by 0.7 million tons as compared to 2.8 million consumption.
Reportedly, exporters are getting big offers from Indonesia, Malaysia, Gulf countries, Singapore and other places. Maize is an important ingredient in poultry feed and human diets. Poultry farmers say that the unabated export of maize will create an acute shortage in the domestic market. Recently, Pakistan imported maize from India to meet local demand. On a better note however, they add that recent monsoon rains have not affected poultry farms and production.
http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=793335&currPageNo=1&query=&search=&term=&supDate=
ANWAR KHAN KARACHI (August 16 2008): The Sindh Livestock Department's inaction towards eliminating the menace of counterfeit, substandard and unregistered vaccines has caused more worries among poultry farmers about the spread of diseases, particularly the lethal form of bird flu. Recently, farmers requested the Minister for Livestock Abdul Haque Bhurt at the second meeting of the Sindh Poultry Board (SPB) to provide them with original vaccines.
The ministry assured them that action would be taken against vaccine sellers who break the law. Farmers have now again complained that the original vaccines for poultry chicks are rarely available in the market. They say the provincial Livestock Department has paid no heed to this issue.
Farmers were to hold an important meeting on this issue with the Minister for Livestock but it did not materialise as the minister abruptly rescheduled the date and time for the meeting. Other than this, no contact has been made from the department, they complain. They say this "is a genuine issue, which is going to hit the industry in long run, [it] should be tactfully addressed before it reaches uncontrollable stages."
High costs of production has forced 45 percent of poultry farms countrywide to completely close down, they say, adding that government should give small loans to farmers enabling them to shore up their declining businesses. They demand that the government ban the export of maize, saying that its unavailability in the local market has increased their costs of production. They suggested that the government should only allow the export of maize when local demand has been fulfilled.
The poultry farmers concerns rose after the country started maize exports for the first time in its history, with the prospects of bumper crop this year. It is expected that the country is likely to receive 3.7 million tons of the commodity crop as compared to some three million tons last year, witnessing a 23 percent growth roughly. The crop is believed to be higher by 0.7 million tons as compared to 2.8 million consumption.
Reportedly, exporters are getting big offers from Indonesia, Malaysia, Gulf countries, Singapore and other places. Maize is an important ingredient in poultry feed and human diets. Poultry farmers say that the unabated export of maize will create an acute shortage in the domestic market. Recently, Pakistan imported maize from India to meet local demand. On a better note however, they add that recent monsoon rains have not affected poultry farms and production.
http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=793335&currPageNo=1&query=&search=&term=&supDate=