Bird flu won't stop RI promoting poultry, eggs

INDONESIA - The government plans to continue promoting poultry farms as the leading source of protein in Indonesia, despite millions of chickens, birds and ducks having been infected with bird flu, which poses threats to public health.

The head of the avian influenza control unit at the Agriculture Ministry, Darminto, said chicken helped the government meet its goal of improving the people's nutrition, and that his office had no plan to promote substitutes to chicken farming.

"We have compelling reasons not to do what the Vietnamese government did," he said.

Vietnam decided to temporarily close down chicken farming and urged its farmers to turn to pig cultivation instead.

Darminto explained that the people's protein consumption level increased from 5.2 grams per day to 6 grams per day by eating chickens.

"And the chickens and ducks as well as their eggs are the cheapest available sources here compared to other protein sources like meat," he said.

Source: The Jakarta Post

15 May 2006