Avian influenza: Hong Kong bans poultry import from India

3 weeks ago, the UAE too suspended import due to disease spread

Three weeks after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) suspended import of poultry products from India due to an outbreak in a part of Kerala of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI H5N8), Hong Kong has also done so.

The Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) gave the information in a circular. The outbreak was in Kottayam district of Kerala.
 

The UAE decision was announced on January 4. There is worry of more importing countries doing so.

Citing a notification from the World Organization of Animal Health, an inter-government organisation on coordination, support and promotion of animal disease control, with 180 member-states as signatories, the Hong Kong authorities informed their Indian counterparts. They’ve sought details of the outbreak.  

Last year, avian influenza was reported in Delhi, in addition to some other places.

“Some non-governmental organisations are working consistently to malign India, on funding support from overseas. They are at work. We do not deny death of birds in Kottayam but they were migratory birds that die on climate change and some other non-avian influenza-related issues. There is no avian influenza case in India,” insisted Ramesh Khatri, president, Poultry Federation of India.

India’s export of poultry products surged over three years to $117.4 million in 2015-16, compared with $92.8 mn in 2013-14. 

“While organised sector players adopt all protection measures thoroughly, unorganised rural poultry farmers in the hinterland normally do not adopt such precautions. 

Hence, the outbreaks normally happen in rural backyards of small poultry farmers. Mostly, farmers cull birds affected with avian influenza, to prevent its spread,” said K G Anand, general manager, Venkateshwara Hatcheries.

However, India does not export poultry products in large quantities, due to high cost of production. In Brazil and America, the cost of production of live chicks works out to Rs 35-40 a kg. It is around Rs 65 a kg in India. Hence, exports from India remain uncompetitive in major consuming centres like West Asia/North Africa.

“The poultry markets are yet to recover from the impact of demonetisation, which hit the bottom in the entire value chain,” added Anand.