November 25, 2005

Philippine poultry industry may help fund bird flu effort
 

Philippine poultry producers may help finance an existing semi-government effort to prevent the entry of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus, an industry executive said Thursday.

No amount has been determined yet, but local poultry players have shown a willingness to help financially, said spokesperson Ruben Pascual of the Philippine Association of Broiler Integrators.

He said the funds would hopefully further strengthen a government effort to prevent a local outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu virus.

Early this week, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo endorsed a request made by the Department of Agriculture to raise the 2006 budget to finance counter bird flu efforts, to 2.5 billion peso from 85 million peso.

The budget will be used to upgrade and expand laboratory facilities to detect the bird flu virus, the department said.

The Congress has yet to give its approval for the requested budget allocation.

Prevention measures being implemented by the department against bird flu infection include surveillance, regular testing on poultry farms, vaccination, footbaths and fumigation.