MikeLigalig.com

CANDABA, Pampanga -- Duck raisers here lauded the decision of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to lift the ban on the shipment of poultry and poultry products from Luzon to other parts of the country.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol made the announcement upon the recommendation of biosecurity experts.

Benedicta Baylon, president of Candaba Duck Raisers and Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative, said that on behalf of her fellow duck raisers, they thank the government and other sectors that expressed concern to their predicament as they lost millions of pesos due to the Avian flu outbreak in San Luis town.
 
“Maraming salamat sa tulong ninyo at hindi ninyo kami pinabayaan sa gitna ng krisis lalo na kay Governor Lilia Pineda (Thank you for your help especially to Governor Lilia Pineda. You did not forsake and abandon us in the midst of the crisis)," Baylon said.
 
The DA's move came after the one-kilometer radius from the ground zero of Barangay San Carlos, San Luis town, was cleared and disinfected from avian influenza or bird flu following the culling of more than 300,000 fowls, including those inside the seven-kilometer radius controlled area.

With this, poultry owners and traders can now resume sales under certain conditions to the other parts of the country.

One of those greatly affected by the bird flu outbreak are the Candaba duck raisers wherein 80 percent of their egg production are being shipped to Visayas and Mindanao and only 20 percent are being distributed in Luzon.

In an interview, Candaba Mayor Danilo Baylon, who distributed more than 4,000 pieces of live chicken here for free, admitted that the shipment ban in Visayas and Mindanao took a toll on the poultry industry in his town with an estimated loss of roughly PHP5 million a day.

Likewise, Baylon said the bird flu outbreak affected the sales of poultry feeds that dropped up to 70 percent.

He expressed hope that with this development, poultry farm owners would be encouraged to restart their business.

He also appealed to the national government for more financial assistance to the poultry farmers and displaced farm workers in the province. (PNA)



* Stay at Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.wirenine.com



Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=106034.0