Poultry farmers, especially egg exporters in Namakkal district have been facing huge lossess since outbreak of bird flu in December 2018 and February 2019 in Kerala.
Following the outbreaks, other countries have imposed a ban on import of eggs from India.
As a result, the egg export from Namakkal district has dropped to two lakh eggs from 10 lakh eggs per day.
According to data available with the National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC), every day two containers (approximately 5lakh eggs in each) were being exported to the Middle East, including Oman, Qatar, Dubai, the UAE and other Arabian countries.
"Now, only 12 containers are being exported in a month since January 2019," an official from NECC said.
Talking to TOI, he said though there was no outbreak in Namakkal district, the poultry hub of Tamil Nadu was facing tough challenge after foreign countries reduced their orders due to bird flu outbreak in Kerala. If the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) once notifies India as a bird flu affected country, all the egg importing countries will impose a ban on eggs from Namakkal.
General secretary of the Livestock and Agri farmers trade association (LIFT) Dr P V Senthil said, "Not only in Kerala, even if the bird flu outbreak is realized in any part of the country, it will affect the entire egg industry in Namakkal region."
It was a long-term appeal by the poultry farmers in Namakkal district to set up an egg export zone in Namakkal district.
"The establishment of an egg export zone will encourage the exporters," Senthil added.
According to egg exporters, followed by the bird flu outbreak, the OIE usually imposes a ban for three months. When bird flu outbreak happened in Kerala in December 2018, the OIE imposed a ban for three months which would have ended in March. Suddenly, once again bird flu outbreak was announced in February 2019 following which, the ban was further extended for another three months. "The ban could be revoked by the importing countries only after they receive confirmation letter from the bird flu affected country mentioning, the country is free from bird flu," Senthil said, adding that, until they get the confirmation letter, they will not lift the ban.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com