Centre snips poultry import

The ban would be in force for a period of six months. It also restricts the entry of any pathological material and biological products from birds which have not been processed to ensure the destruction of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, an official release said. But the Government’s decision is not going to affect poultry supply within the country. Agriculture ministry officials said the country was self-sufficient and imports from affected countries were negligible.

Officials called the ban a preventive measure. ‘‘Our poultry industry is growing and we need to protect it,’’ said K. Reddy, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, who’s in-charge of the poultry division.

As of now, India does not import poultry products from Pakistan but has a bilateral agreement with South East Asian countries like Vietnam, Singapore and Japan for import of poultry products.

According to the ministry, the country imports live birds from developed countries where there are quality controls, immunisation and disease prevention measures in place. ‘‘We get day-old chickens from countries like the Netherlands, Germany, US and UK for breeding purposes only,’’ Reddy said. ‘‘We produce sizeable quantities of chicken and eggs and our industry is growing. In fact, we are self sufficient. We are not concerned over supplies. We have the potential to export to other countries.’’

Meanwhile, the Government has asked the Health ministry to put in place a screening process for people arriving from affected countries. Sources said the Director General Health Services has called a meeting tomorrow to discuss preventive measures.

State governments and animal husbandry departments have been sent guidelines regarding identification, treatment and disposal of affected poultry population in the event of an outbreak.