Chinese Poultry Breeders Recover from Bird Flu Impact

CHINA - Poultry farming, which was devastated by the outbreak of bird flu in China, is coming back to life.

China’s success in containing the disease has given a marked boost to the market for poulty products. The KFC and McDonald’s restaurant chains report chicken products are in high demand and most consumers in China say buying poultry products is no longer causing them too much concern.

Chen Jia is one of the many consumers who buy poultry products in Beijing. She says she is not worried that eating poultry products may expose her to the risk of bird flu.

“On one hand, I believe all the chickens on the market have undergone strict tests by the health departments. On the other hand, I think as long as we cook the chicken right, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Since last year, China has reported 35 outbreaks of bird flu amongst poultry, resulting in the culling of over 22 million birds. The total losses by the industry amounted to about 20 billion RMB or 2.4 billion US dollars.

In such circumstances, the Chinese government has taken concrete measures to protect the interests of poultry breeders. Apart from immunizing all domestic birds in the affected regions, the government has also provided subsidies to those who have had their flocks culled.

With these measures in place, the poultry industry in China is recovering.

But the damage caused is not so readily undone as most of the breeders are still losing money.

Zeng Yanchu is a professor of agricultural economy from Renmin University. He says the government should inject more financial aid into the poultry industry.

Source: CriEnglish