Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 25: Valley Poultry Farmers Association has held hassle free supply of Layer birds usually known as Dog Food to the Kashmir valley responsible for the viral infection that has killed over 50, 000 birds in past one week.
The local poultry farmers accused the Government officials for their failure to check the supply of these viral infected birds. “The unrestricted supply of layer birds and lack of medical facilities available in the Kashmir valley has spread the viral infection in the local poultry production, which has affected the poultry farmers of Valley badly,” Bashir Ahmad Sofi, Vice-President Kashmir Valley Poultry Farmers Association told Excelsior.
Farmers and poultry farm owners accuse the Animal Husbandry Department and Government for apathetic towards the situation. They also said that there are some vested interested groups of people dealing and encouraging the trade to earn more profit.
When contacted Director Animal Husbandry, Ghulam Rasool Mir, he said: “The viral disease broke out due to stressful climatic conditions and lack of vaccination.
“Ranikhet disease could break out any time with the stressful climatic conditions. Our teams have been vaccinating the affected poultry across the Valley to prevent the disease from spreading,” Director said.
The farmers say they have suffered heavy losses as mortality rate was increasing with each passing day with the result around 50, 000 birds have died at poultry farms since the outbreak of this disease.
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