WorldPoultry: Avian Influenza strikes in Karnataka, India

Avian Influenza has hit Karnataka, south-west India and a ban on sales and exports of poultry meat is feared in the industry.

It has been reported that already Kerala (also in the south-west) has implemented a ban on poultry products coming from Karnataka. Only in the regions close Karnataka has the poultry price been affected, other regions have not seen a drop in prices.

Culled
The birds have been culled in the Central Poultry Development Organisation, near Bangalore, where AI was discovered in turkeys, ducks and emus. "Our egg exports are just recovering from a ban imposed by the Middle East when the last incident of Avian Flu occurred over a year ago. From 300 containers a month, it had hit a low of 50,'' said PV Senthil, secretary of Livestock and Agri Farmers Trade Association.

He added, "But since most of the foreign countries consider India as one region, we have asked the Central government to pass on the information that the incident has occurred in a small region in Karnataka. '

Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com