Date:26/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/05/26/stories/2006052603761400.htm

Back Poultry sector worried over delay in relief measures

G. Gurumurthy

RISING SUICIDES

AFTER-EFFECTS: Bird flu losses have now begun to claim poultry farmers' lives.

Coimbatore , May 25

The domestic poultry sector is worried that even as promised relief measures from the Union Government are yet to reach the bird flu-hit poultry farmers, the rising number of suicides among poultry farmers has shaken the morale of poultry growers across the country.

"The latest report of death of a poultry grower of Ambala village in Sarur taluk, Pune district in Maharashtra who committed suicide, unable to bear losses suffered on account of bird flu scare is the eighth in the country in recent times," said Dr P. Selvaraj, National Egg Coordination Committee's Namakkal Zone Chairman. Close on the heals of the avian flu outbreak, the Maharashtra Government had, in March last, announced relief package including cash compensation for farmers affected by the bird disease incident there. The Union Government, too, had offered to provide 5.3 tonnes of maize and broken rice at subsidised rates for the poultry farmers to tide over the situation. But, till date poultry farmers have not received the promised grains from the Centre.

Similarly, the various financial reliefs announced by the Centre to counter the trails of adverse implications the bird flu scare had left on poultry farmers, have not been properly implemented. Barring Canara Bank, none of the banks had, so far, come forward to extend financial relief as announced by the Centre for the poultry sector, according to Dr Selvaraj. The Centre and RBI, post-avian flu incidents, announced rescheduling poultry sector loans including cut in interest rate and moratorium on interests and repayment of term loan as well as working capital loans.

The NECC Chairman , is of the view that the chain of suicides will continue, if the Government fails to ensure that the assured financial reliefs and supply of subsidised grains to meet feeding poultry birds were made available without further loss of time. The NECC has urged the Centre to compel officials of the department concerned to expeditiously implement relief undertaking.