March 31, 2004

Thailand Ready To Resume Poultry Farming In May

Thailand will allow chicken farms in areas hit by bird flu to reopen in early May if their localities have been free of the disease for 21 straight days, the Agriculture Ministry said Tuesday.
 
At the same time, the Ministry said the nation is unlikely to formally declare itself free of bird flu. The disease has forced authorities to destroy tens of millions of chickens and has devastated the country's poultry industry.
 
Officials said they'll monitor areas where the outbreaks were found before allowing poultry farms to raise chickens again. Farmers who want to raise chickens will have to contact the provincial livestock department for an inspection to show they are ready, the Ministry said.
 
Vietnam has declared itself free of bird flu, despite international experts' repeated warnings that such an announcement is premature.