Ma10, 2004rch

 

 

Kyoto To Resume Poultry Shipments

 

Authorities in Kyoto are planning to lift its restrictions on shipments of of chickens and eggs by poultry farmers within a 30-kilometer radius of Funai Farm in Tanbacho in the prefecture, where the recent bird flu outbreak occurred, in early April at the earliest, prefectural government officials said Tuesday.

 

The prefectural government has decided to end the restrictions 21 days after epidemic prevention procedures are completed.

 

The move follows a decision taken by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry to revise its manual that had stipulated that shipments of eggs and chickens be controlled for more than 28 days after the completion of epidemic prevention measures.

 

Poultry farms in Kyoto, Hyogo and Osaka prefectures located within a 30-kilometer radius of Funai Farm likely will be able to resume shipments shortly.

 

Under the current manual concerning epidemic prevention, the ministry restricts the movement of chickens and eggs until a 28-day incubation period ends.

 

However, the ministry has decided to set the restriction period to 21 days in accordance with international standards and will revise the manual Wednesday.

 

At Funai Farm, the prefectural government and others have been burying the dead chickens and eggs, and the epidemic prevention measures are set to be completed by Tuesday. As a result, the prefectural government will lift its restrictions around April 6.

 

There are more than 850 poultry farms in the restricted area around Funai Farm.

 

More than 700,000 eggs a day have been produced in the area with no prospects of their sale since Feb. 27, when the farms were asked to voluntarily refrain from shipping chickens and eggs.

 

A prefectural government official said he hoped to lift restrictions as soon as possible because poultry farmers in the areas have been severely affected by the restrictions.