[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’600T Pampanga fowls up for slaughter – DA’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
Thursday, August 17, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_image src=’http://www.panaynews.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/nation-fowls-1030×679.jpg’ attachment=’114263′ attachment_size=’large’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’][/av_image]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
MANILA – Authorities are set to cull 600,000 fowls in San Luis, Pampanga as more poultry farms give up their flocks for slaughter after suffering heavy losses due to a bird flu outbreak, the Department of Agriculture said Wednesday.
The department was supposed to slaughter only 200,000 poultry heads from six farms inside a 1-square kilometer “quarantine zone” in San Luis.
Thirty more farm owners however volunteered to join the depopulation to prevent the spread of the virus and minimize their losses, DA secretary Emmanuel Piñol said in a press briefing.
“Sabi nila, kung makakatulong in containing the spread of the virus, they are willing to make sacrifices,” Piñol said.
“They also found it hard to go on with their business kasi maski hindi sila within the 1-kilometer radius, hindi rin sila makakabenta ng mga itlog at kanilang mga produkto.”
Authorities have culled about 73,000 birds so far, Piñol added.
The DA, he said, needs at least P52.8 million for the depopulation process as it has promised to pay poultry raisers P80 for every culled fowl.
Piñol said he has sought the deployment of 100 soldiers to help in the depopulation and has asked the national police to boost quarantine stations.
For her part, Sen. Cynthia Villar sought for an assistance program for poultry farmers affected by the avian influenza outbreak in San Luis, Pampanga.
The DA should provide farmers with alternative livelihood for the next four to five months, said Villar, the Senate agriculture and food committee chairwoman.
Last Friday, Pampanga was placed under a state of calamity. The DA said the fowls that have died due to the virus numbered 37,000.
Affected farmers will get P80 per fowl culled and a P25,000 loan assistance, Piñol said.
However, “we should [also] emphasize that not all Pampanga fowls are infected,” Villar said. “In fact, as confirmed by experts, only nine commercial farms, four quail farms and four duck farms in San Luis were infected by the virus.” (ABS-CBN News and Prince Golez/PN)
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
