February 23, 2004

 

 

Small Scale Poultry Farmers Crippled By Asian Bird Flu Crisis

 

The bird flu outbreak in Asia could cripple the livelihoods of small-scale chicken farmers in Asia, the chief of the U.N. food agency warned Monday.

 

"We're particularly concerned because chicken production is made by poor people and therefore in the fight against hunger it's a very important element," said Jacques Diouf, director general of the Food and Agriculture Organization.

 

Diouf spoke to reporters after addressing a regional conference on poverty eradication attended by agriculture ministers and other representatives of Asia-Pacific countries.

 

"Although it has not happened yet, the so-called 'bird-flu' presents a risk of evolving into a dangerous human pathogen, and a serious hazard to food security and food safety," Diouf said in his speech.

 

At least 22 people, 15 in Vietnam and seven in Thailand, have died from bird flu, apparently after catching it from poultry. The virus has devastated the region's poultry industry, forcing authorities to cull more than 80 million chickens in 10 countries and territories.

 

Officials fear the bird flu virus could combine with a human flu strain, yielding a deadly new version that could be easily passed from human to human.

 

Bird flu has hurt huge chicken processing conglomerates as well as thousands of small-time poultry farmers. Such farmers are common in rural Thailand, Cambodia, Pakistan and other poor countries.

 

Diouf said the bird flu crisis has provided an opportunity to build healthy farming systems and introduce improved farm safety and bio-security.

 

The new systems should be designed to help poor farmers and protect the environment and consumers, he said.

 

There have been fears that proposed new systems with sophisticated facilities would benefit bigger companies, while poorer farmers unable to afford them would be put out of work.

 

Diouf said he couldn't make any suggestions at this time on how to reconcile that dilemma.

 

He said the FAO was happy with the rapid response of Asian countries to bird flu.

 

"However, the extent of the current outbreaks of avian influenza clearly demonstrates the need for improved regional collaboration and communication," he said.

 

Countries and international organizations must work more closely to prevent future disease outbreaks by improving surveillance and early responses to pests and diseases, he said.