Kerala: Norms made stricter for duck rearing

ALAPPUZHA: Animal husbandry department has tightened norms for the registration of ducks reared in Kuttanad for Christmas and New-Year season after bacterial infection deaths. AHD director N.N. Sasi said primary veterinary centres would monitor flocks and get them properly registered. The registered farmers must inform their exact numbers, and obtain birth certificates of ducklings. Administering the vaccine against plague carriers with Pasteurella is mandatory. Over the years, many business interests including Tamil Nadu duck lobby and broiler chicken lobby were allegedly indulging in 'profiteering' during the season. 

"We suspect them behind the scaremongering. There is no case of influenza virus outbreak here so far," he said.  "Some spread rumours of bird flu for getting compensation. None on the list of livestock inspectors after the last outbreak will get compensated if it repeats." Some 1500 ducks perished in Punnapra and Ambalappuzha after bacterial infection on November 21, and on Saturday. "We had sent samples, and the lab results confirmed bacterial infection. So there is no need to panic," he said. After an influenza outbreak last year, the government had spent Rs 12 crore in compensation in Kottayam and Alappuzha districts. The Rapid Response Teams (RRTS) had culled over 10 lakh ducks. 

In 2014, when the outbreak reported for the first time, they killed some 200,000 birds and paid a compensation of Rs 200 per duck. "The traders, according to retailers, bring non-productive and aged ducks that other states reject. They rear them in Kuttanad as if local varieties," a poultry trader said.  "So it's quite natural they succumb to sudden changes of weather conditions. Then they will bargain for compensation. Even if they get Rs 150 a bird, it's lucrative."