Hetauda culls 50,000 chicken to prevent bird flu spread

Published On: March 30, 2019 07:32 AM NPT By: Ashok Sujan Shrestha

MAKAWANPUR, March 30: Over 50,000 chickens in several farms in Hetauda Sub-Metropolis have been destroyed over the past eleven days following bird flu outbreak. Eggs and feed in huge amounts were also destroyed.

According to the chief district officer (CDO) of Makawanpur, Asman Tamang, there are 48 registered poultry farms in the district and chickens of 28 farms were destroyed to prevent the disease from spreading. A total of 50,231 chicken, 9,015 eggs and 1,463 kg of feed were destroyed.

“It was important to take the action because we must stop the disease from spreading,” Tamang said, adding, “We have allowed buying and selling of poultry products only after verification by veterinarians that the products are free from the disease,” he added.

The decision to destroy chickens, eggs and fodder was taken during a meeting of the District Technical Committee of Disease Control on 18 March.

According to Dr Sushila Shrestha of Bird Flu Control Unit, the chickens were destroyed in three phases. “Farmers have been affected. Chickens of farms from Hatiya and Kamane areas were destroyed. Eggs and feed had to be destroyed too,” she said.

Transaction of poultry products has drastically slumped over the last few weeks in Hetauda and around.

The bird flu control drive is led by Secretary of the District Technical Committee of Disease Control Dr Chet Narayan Kharel, who is also the chief of Veterinary Hospital, Hetauda.

He stated that technicians from Kathmandu carried out the cull. “It’s a sensitive job. Over 20 expert technicians were deployed to destroy chickens, eggs and feed. The infected birds, eggs and feed were buried using an excavator.

Meanwhile, CDO Tamang said that the affected farmers will be provided compensations.
Raju Adhikari, President of Makawanpur Poultry Entrepreneurs Association, said farmers want compensation as soon as possible. “We have supported the government move to cull the infected birds and now the government should support the farmers with compensation,” he said.

He added that there are around 3,000 poultry farmers in the district who have invested a total of around Rs 6 billion.

Bird flu outbreak in Makawanpur was confirmed a month ago after medical tests following death of around 25,000 chickens in various farms.