January 30, 2007

Bird flu ban hits Indonesian poultry sales

Indonesia's ban on backyard poultry could cause problems, FAO says.

Jarkarta's ban on backyard poultry to help fight bird flu has hit sales of chicken and duck meat, the Food and Agriculture Organisation said on Monday (Jan 29).

Teams of health workers have been slaughtering birds across Jakarta before the ban came into force on February 1, asking residents who reared poultry to surrender them for slaughter.

Demand for poultry products has plunged by as much as 50 percent since the ban was announced, causing poultry markets in the capital to collapse, said Anni McLeod, FAO senior officer for livestock policy.

Controlling bird flu is difficult enough, without having to deal with the economic consequences of a market collapse, which affects the livelihoods of many people, McLeod said in a statement.

The FAO warned the problem could become worse if bans on backyard poultry were extended around the country without due planning.

It reiterated that meat from healthy birds was safe to eat if properly cooked.