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Bird flu fight needs more funds
Adequate and prompt compensation payments for poultry
farmers forced to cull birds because of avian influenza is central to the fight
against the disease, and is likely to cost $1.2-1.5 billion more than
anticipated over the next 2-3 years, according to international
experts.
A report released by international organisations ahead of a
bird
flu meeting and donor summit this week has urged more effective compensation
programmes, in order to ensure that farmers whose birds fall sick feel
comfortable to provide information to authorities.
They say that the international community may have to foot the bill for
countries that cannot afford to adequately compensate farmers, as it is clearly
in all developed countries' interests to prevent the spread of the disease. The
organisations have recommended a compensation amount of 75-90 percent of the
value of lost stock.
“They must be compensated for birds and other property that are destroyed
as part of control efforts. All countries want guidance on how best to go about
effective compensation,†Nabarro said.
Compensation will be a key agenda item at a bird flu summit in the West
African country of Mali on December 6-8, with a focus on how much to pay farmers
and how they should be paid.
Editor WorldPoultry
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