Bird flu affected farmers to get 70pc more compensation

KATHMANDU:

The government is all set to provide an additional 70 per cent compensation of the amount provided earlier to poultry farms that were hit hard by the bird flu epidemic last year. The bird flu disease which had spread in various parts of the country in July and August of last year had hurt the poultry industry badly and the government had distributed more than Rs 500 million as compensation in last fiscal 2013-14 based on the Bird Flu Disease Control Order-2006.

However, farmers pressurised the government to double the compensation amount mentioned in the Bird Flu Disease Control Order. The Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD) had then formed a study panel under the leadership of then deputy director general of Department of Livestock Services Dinesh Parajuli to submit a report on the issue.

Based on the report, MoAD had proposed to the Cabinet to amend the Order by increasing the compensation amount by up to 70 per cent of the initial compensation amount that was declared by the government and the recently held Cabinet meeting has given a go-ahead to do the needful, said Shankar Sapkota, joint spokesperson of MoAD.

As per the initial provision, compensation was fixed at Rs 130 for chickens that were more than six weeks old, Rs 50 for chicken less than six weeks, Rs 250 for parent stock broiler, and Rs 500 for parent stock layer. Likewise, the compensation amount was fixed at Rs 100 for one kg of chicken meat, Rs three for an egg, and Rs 10 for each kg of feed.

Now the compensation amount will be increased by 70 per cent and it will be redistributed among those affected.

“MoAD had taken the consent of the Finance Ministry to increase the compensation amount before submitting the amendment proposal to the Cabinet,” Sapkota said, adding, “We will distribute additional compensation after the Ministry of Finance releases the required budget for the purpose.”

Now Rs 350 million more will be distributed to the farmers who had been affected.

Bird flu had last year affected poultry farms in Dhading, Chitwan, Kaski, Rupandehi, Nawalparasi, Sindhuli, Kavre, Sindhupalchowk and Makawanpur districts including the Kathmandu Valley.

Nepal is self reliant in the poultry sector and currently its contribution in national gross domestic product is three per cent. The private sector has invested Rs 60 billion in the poultry sector and approximately one lakh people are employed in the poultry business, according to MoAD. Kathmandu Valley alone contributes about 40 per cent of the total production of country and consumes 60 per cent of total poultry production.

Source: THT