Bird flu scrambles egg imports from India
Strict checks to be conducted in India and Sri Lanka; Poultry Farmers Association leader says Sri Lanka could export poultry products
There will be a further delay in importing eggs from India as the eggs are being subjected to micro-biological tests to prevent the spread of bird flu.
A State Trading Corporation senior official said these microbiological tests would take three to four days and the shipment was expected to reach Sri Lanka before the end of next week.
Further strict restrictions had been imposed, as the Health Ministry would also be conducting micro-biological tests in Sri Lanka.
All Ceylon Bakery Owners Association President N. K. Jayawardena said he had spoken to the Health Minister earlier this week to discuss the delay in egg imports. The Minister told him there was a problem in India and the eggs would arrive by the end of next week.
All Island Poultry Farmers Association Chairman Ajith Gunasekara said he had attended a conference of the World Poultry Veterinary Association last month in India, where Sri Lanka’s poultry industry had come ino praise.
This is in the wake of India facing an outbreak of bird flu, where nearly 4000 chickens and ducks were selectively killed last week in Jharkhand to prevent the spread of bird flu.
The death of a Cambodian girl from bird flu was also mentioned at the conference he attended.
Mr. Gunasekara said even Indians were confused about why Sri Lanka was attempting to import eggs and risk a potential outbreak of bird flu in Sri Lanka for a mere difference of Rs. 3.
“India’s poultry industry is not hygienic since they sell eggs on the streets and chickens are killed on the streets as Indians like it fresh,” he said, comparing it to Sri Lanka, where the industry is much more hygienic.
“Indians say we have European standards and the Indian poultry industry should also follow Sri Lanka,” he said. He added that Indians had told him that Sri Lanka could aim at exporting poultry products.
Moreover, Mr. Gunasekara said he did not expect the bakeries to protect the rules imposed to prevent the spread of bird flu.
“Would there be a PHI officer to supervise every egg which would be broken in bakeries. Do we have the resources to do so, in the first place.” Mr. Gunasekara asked.
He also blamed the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) for the current gazette prices stating “now the boards in the shop say Rs. 44, but there are no eggs.”
He claimed the CAA was protecting the consumers but not the producers since only a maximum retail price had been imposed, but not a minimum retail price.
“Since eggs are an agricultural product, the price fluctuates frequently depending on environmental factors,” he said, explaining that if it is given a fixed price, it should be done according to a price formula, which was changed every week.
The CAA had conducted around 100 raids within this year, of which about 50 were for selling at higher prices than the current gazette prices, an official said.
State Veterinary Surgeons Association Secretary Dr. N. T. Hewagamage said they were still against importing eggs to the country.
Commenting on the recent event in India where about 4000 chickens and ducks were killed he said Sri Lanka did not have the capacity to do so, if the virus did afflict the country.
“In India, they provide compensation for such farmers, but Sri Lanka does not have capability to support our farmers in case of bird flu,” he said.