KOTTAYAM: The officials of the district animal husbandry department have culled 7,000 ducks in Arpookkara and Thalayazham panchayats to prevent further spread of bird flu in upper Kuttanad region. The spread of the disease for the third consecutive year robbed farmers of the chance to reap good profit ahead of Christmas-New Year season.
In Arpookkara, 4,027 ducks were culled at a farm, while 865 died before the procedure started. The presence of the Avian Influenza virus was detected in two farms in Thalayazham, where nearly 3,000 ducks were culled and 1,300 eggs destroyed.
Around 500 infected broiler chickens died at a farm in Thalayazham before the rapid response team arrived for culling.District animal husbandry officer Dr Shaji Panickasseril said surveillance has been strengthened in panchayats adjacent to Vembanad in view of the outbreak.
“We have given directives to all veterinary clinics in the district regarding the steps to be taken. We have asked duck farmers to share their geo-locations so that we can take action in case of an emergency,” he said. The farmers have also been directed to inform the authorities if ducks are found having dizziness or dying under unusual circumstances.
The outbreak has pushed the poultry farmers into distress as most of them raise ducks keeping the Christmas-New Year season in mind. “The farmer who lost nearly 2,500 ducks in Thalayazham used to sell 1,300 eggs per day at a price of `8 per piece. He suddenly lost his revenue following the outbreak,” said an official.