October 16, 2008

Jakarta will phase out smaller-scale poultry industries by 2010 as part of its efforts to prevent more deaths from bird flu, according to agricultural authorities.

Only six poultry processing plants located in Jakarta's outskirts would be eligible to distribute chicken meat to traditional markets, where hopefully live chickens would not be sold by 2010, said Muhammad Azhar, the Agriculture Ministry's coordinator for bird flu control.

This will not be easy, as the small-scale enterprises are the main income for many people in Jakarta, but it has to be done, said Azhar.

The planned restructuring of poultry farms and processing plants in Jakarta is in line with key points in the 2007 poultry restriction bylaw.

Azhar was unsure if compensation or alternative ventures would be given to chicken processors who would be forced to close down their businesses.

Jakarta also plans to work closely with neighbouring cities like Tangerang in Bantn and Bekasi in West Java, both of which supply large quantities of live chicken and meat to Jakarta.

Jakarta consumes 700,000 chickens daily, with most of them raised outside the city, according to Azhar.