VOL NO REGD NO DA 1589

Sunday, March 12, 2006

HEADLINE

POLITICS & POLICIES

METRO & COUNTRY

MISCELLANY

EDITORIAL

LETTER TO EDITOR

COMPANY & FINANCE

BUSINESS & FINANCE

TRADE/ECONOMY

LEISURE & ENTERTAINMENT

MARKET & COMMODITIES

SPORTS

WORLD

 

FE Specials

FE Education

Urban Property

Monthly Roundup

Saturday Feature

Asia/South Asia

 

Feature

13th SAARC SUMMIT DHAKA-2005

WOMEN & ECONOMY

57th Republic Day of India

US TRADE SHOW

 

 

 

Archive

Site Search

 

HOME

WORLD
 
Indonesia vows to step up bird flu fight
Bird flu affecting chicken industry in Brazil
3/12/2006
 

          SAO PAULO, Mar 11 (AP): Brazil's chicken industry, the world's largest, is cutting down production and laying off workers as worldwide consumption drops on fears of a bird flu epidemic, local media and analysts said this week.
While the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu hasn't been found in Brazil, the country's huge chicken industry already is feeling ramifications from the disease.
In less than a week, three chicken meat processors have announced they were either going to temporarily cease operations or cancel investments in production.
Seara Alimentos said Thursday that it would lay off more than 220 workers in its Santa Catarina unit, according to local press reports.
Aurora Alimentos said Monday it would postpone investments of 100 million Brazilian reals (US$46.2 million; euro38.7 million) in chicken production this year because of bird flu fears in Aurora's main markets - Europe, the Middle East and South Africa.
Last week, one of Brazil's largest chicken exporters, Avipal, said it will suspend operations for the month of April to lower chicken stocks. The company said it made the decision because of a drop in worldwide consumption due to the spread of bird flu in Asia, North Africa and Europe.
Brazil is the world's largest chicken producer and exporter, selling nearly 3 million metric tons (3.3 million tons) of chicken to world markets in 2005.
But the country's chicken exports fell in February to 190,300 metric tons (209,770 tons), compared to 206,600 metric tons (227,740 tons) in January.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's health minister promised to work harder to protect people from bird flu after two young children died of the H5N1 virus, raising the country's toll to 22.
"We will carry out intensive rapid diagnosis of patients suspected of having the disease," Siti Fadilah Supari told reporters late Friday, after tests came back positive for a 3-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl who died last week.
Both were from Central Java province and apparently became ill after coming into contact with sick chickens.
The H5N1 strain of the virus has killed or forced the culling of more than 140 million chickens and ducks across Asia since 2003, and has recently spread to Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Ninety-seven people also have died, two-thirds of them in Indonesia and Vietnam, according to WHO.
Though health experts say bird flu remains difficult for humans to catch, they fear it could mutate and set off a flu pandemic that could kill millions of people worldwide.
Indonesia has been criticized for not acting fast enough to quell the spread of the disease when it first appeared in chickens three years ago.
The government has said it can do little more than vaccinate poultry stocks - arguing the internationally recommended policy of slaughtering all chickens and ducks in affected areas would be too costly.

 

 
  More Headline
Bird flu affecting chicken industry in Brazil
Venezuela backs Iran in nuclear dispute, suggests negotiation
Pak clash 'leaves 25 dead'
Double kidney transplants mooted
Colombian paramilitaries disarm
Bush begins public relations campaign on US actions in Iraq
Mars orbiter reaches Red Planet
Hamas seeks support from Saudis
Ex-White House adviser arrested on theft charges
US rejects N Korean proposal to establish joint committee
American hostage Tom Fox killed in Iraq
Police battle Sorbonne protesters
 

Print this page | Mail this page | Save this page | Make this page my home page

About us  |  Contact us  |  Editor's panel  |  Career opportunity | Web Mail

 

 

 

 

Copy right @ financialexpress.com