(a) whether the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has recently issued a
warning about avian influenza (bird flu) virus in Asia;
(b) if so, whether the Government proposes to check spread of bird flu in the country
on the basis of said warning;
(c) if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether guidelines for poultry feed including poultry products have been issued;
and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE (SHRI KANTI LAL BHURIA)
(a)to(c): In the wake of outbreak of avian influenza in Asian countries of Republic
of Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Laos, Indonesia, Taipei (China)
and human cases in Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia, the FAO updates the situation of
Avian Influenza from time to time in their FAO-AIDE-news. India is free from the
disease and all pro-active measures have been taken by the Government to prevent
ingress of the disease into the country and action to be taken in the event of any outbreak.
(d)&(e): Guidelines on feed standards incorporating specifications for commercial
broilers, layers, parent stock and other avian species have been revised. These standards
are being circulated to all the States with a request to make them mandatory by enacting
‘feed laws’, wherever required.