In view of the recent bird flu outbreak in central Travancore districts, the government has imposed stringent restrictions on hatchery operations and banned the transportation of poultry (to and from) for rearing in the entire Alappuzha district and parts of Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Ernakulam districts till December 31, 2024.
As per a notification issued by the Animal Husbandry department, no day-old chicks, ducklings or quails should be supplied to and from any hatchery located in the surveillance zones. Eggs in setters and hatchers in all hatcheries should be destroyed. A compensation of ₹5 per egg should be paid for chicken and duck eggs.
Hatcheries with live breeder stock are banned from setting eggs for hatching until further orders. However, they can sell eggs as table eggs within the restricted zones. Hatcheries without breeder stock (live birds) should remain closed until further orders. No fresh poultry stocking brought from outside these areas for rearing is permitted until further notice.
Farmers already rearing adult stock (layers and breeders) should ensure strict biosecurity measures to prevent outbreaks. No eggs produced in these areas should be set for hatching.
As per the notification, the resumption of hatchery operations will be decided after a “periodic assessment of the possibilities of the resurgence of outbreaks and relative epidemiological safety of the Kuttanad wetlands for fresh stocking of poultry.” The order noted that violations would invite criminal proceedings.
Apart from the entire Alappuzha, the restrictions have been imposed in the entire Kottayam, Vaikom and Changanassery taluks in Kottayam; entire Thiruvalla taluk, Pallickal, Thumpamon, Aranmula, Kozhencherry, Kulanada, Mallappuzhassery, Mezhuveli, Kallooppara, Kunnamthanam, Mallappally and Puramattom grama panchayats, and Pandalam municipality in Pathanamthitta; and Amballur, Udayamperoor, Edakkattuvayal and Chellanam grama panchayats in Ernakulam.
The government issued the order based on the recommendations of the expert committee that studied the bird flu outbreak in Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta. The latest outbreak of avian flu was confirmed on April 16, 2024, in ducks at Ward 1 in Edathua grama panchayat in Alappuzha. Since then, the disease has been confirmed in 38 epicentres, including broiler chicken and quail farms, in the three districts. Apart from ducks, chicken and quail, 19 samples of free-flying, peri-domestic birds and wild birds have tested positive for the disease.
Published – September 05, 2024 08:08 pm IST
