The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

The government has decided to withdraw the 10-percent duty on import of poultry feed to reduce the financial load on the industry affected severely by bird flu.

Director General (DG) of the Department of Livestock Sunil Chandra Ghose said this while talking to BSS yesterday.

He said the bird flu has largely been contained over the recent weeks and the issue of the recovery of the industry is now coming to the fore as the disease has left behind severe damage to the poultry stock and support services.

The DG said the government has established close surveillance mechanism in highly vulnerable areas and maintaining watch all over the country to detect new outbreak as the reports of new incidence have sharply declined. "We have put to test only two reported infection cases on Tuesday," Sunil said adding if they prove positive with specific infectious virus, the authorities will ask for destroying the birds.

Meanwhile, the Livestock Department has hired 300 trained personnel with FAO funding and placed them in 100 vulnerable upazilas, three in each upazila, to maintain surveillance and report new incidence.

Donors, including USAID, UNICEF and World Bank, are also providing consultants and other technical supports, including testing kits and bio-safety know-how, to successfully overcome the situation.

He said 11,25,676 birds were culled up to March 3. The number of eggs destroyed stood at 14,75,000. There have been 201 outbreaks in 103 upazilas involving 340 firms and 72 family yards farming.