June 3, 2004

 

 

Vietnamese Poultry Farmers Forge Ahead Under Shadow Of Bird Flu

 

The trauma of bird flu lingers in the northern Vietnamese province of Thai Binh, and fears that the deadly disease could return are high. But faced with little alternative, farmers have resumed their activities.

 

Agricultural revenue is essential for this coastal province, some 100 kilometres (60 miles) east of Hanoi and where annual per capita income is around 200 dollars, five times less than in the capital.

 

Economic factors dictated the choice of the peasants to restock immediately after the government declared on March 30 that the H5N1 strain of bird flu, which claimed 16 lives in Vietnam, had been eradicated.

 

United Nations health and animal experts had warned Hanoi that it was acting prematurely and recklessly. They also recommended that farmers wait three months from the last infection date before restarting production.

 

But farmers in Thai Binh, like many of the 57 of the country's 64 provinces where bird flu outbreaks were reported, could not wait that long.

 

"The epidemic could easily return in the province," admitted Do Dinh An, deputy director of its agriculture department.

 

"But approximately 90 percent of the population depend on agriculture. There was no other solution but to restart poultry production. Breeders had already lost lots of money."

 

Today, the local authorities are doing their best to assist farmers, monitor production and prevent any recurrence, but funds are extremely limited.

 

"In order to prevent a possible return of the disease, we need the help of the central government and international organizations," An said.

 

Since the beginning of the crisis, the provincial authorities have been torn between the official government instructions and the situation on the ground.

 

According to Hanoi's orders, all poultry in a radius of three kilometres from infection zones were to be slaughtered. In Thai Binh, the authorities reduced this quarantine zone to 500 metres.

 

The province's veterinarians, under-equipped and lacking funds, have a difficult task.

 

The province received only seven billion dong from the government to compensate all farmers affected by the crisis and restart production.

 

The authorities supervise the breeding and push the peasants to vaccinate their poultry against current infectious diseases.

 

But memories of the epidemic and the fear it caused linger.

 

"Three people died in this province," said Vu Duy Hien, the head of the province's livestock department. "Today, if someone finds a dead chicken on a farm, I believe that people will be more vigilant."