India declared bird flu-free, could aid poultry exports

India has been declared avian influenza (bird flu) free by the department of animal husbandry from September 5 onwards, a move expected to boost the country's poultry exports. This has also been notified to the World Organisation of Animal Health (OIE).

India exported 659,304 tonnes of poultry products worth Rs 768.72 crore in 2015-16, mainly to Oman, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Germany and the Maldives. The country last experienced an outbreak of the disease on May 9, which originated in a farm in Humnabad in Bidar district of Karnataka.

The country has adopted extensive control measures, which contained the disease to Bidar.

According to an official statement, the measures included stamping out the entire poultry population, including eggs, feed, litter and other infected material; restriction on movement of poultry and poultry products to and from the area of outbreak; and disinfection and cleaning up of infected premises.

Surveillance was carried out throughout the country after the outbreak, which showed no evidence of the disease's presence.

In a letter to state chief secretaries, the Center emphasised the need for continued surveillance, especially in areas bordering infected countries and those visited by migratory birds. Poultry is one of the fastest growing segments of the agricultural sector in India. While the production of agricultural crops has been rising at a rate of 1.5 to two per cent per annum, that of eggs and broilers has been rising at 8-10 per cent. As a result, India is now the world's fifth largest egg producer and the 18th largest producer of broilers.

Tamil Nadu counts for the maximum egg production, while Hyderabad is the city with maximum number of poultry farms and hatcheries.