Reem Leila reports on planned payments to those hardest hit by the avian flu virus Last week's demonstrations by poultry farmers and retailers in Tahrir Square and outside the People's Assembly were an expression of growing concern among those working within the poultry industry that their businesses are on the verge of sinking without trace. The protestors urged the government to implement measures to save the industry and to resume permission for birds to be transported between governorates. They also criticised the government's decision to close down the premises of poultry retailers. Anxiety among those dependent for their livelihoods on what was, until last month, an LE17 billion industry that produced 50 per cent of the animal protein consumed in Egypt, increased when the government ordered the culling of all domestically reared, and large numbers of commercially reared, birds. While on Friday officials announced that measures to contain the spread of avian flu were succeeding, new cases have been detected. Birds from 113 sites have now tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain, spread across 15 governorates. By far the great majority -- 89 cases -- were found among domestically reared birds, though samples from 24 commercial breeding operations have also tested positive. Sales of poultry plummeted by more than 70 per cent when it was made public that bird flu had reached Egypt. "Demand fell drastically as soon as it was announced that the virus was here and now nobody is asking for chicken and the government has ordered us to stop selling poultry until the problem is resolved," said Mohsen Ibrahim, a poultry farmer among the demonstrators. Losses are not limited to poultry retailers and breeders. Restaurants too, particularly fast food outlets specialising in chicken, are feeling the pinch. Maged El-Menyawy, manager of a well- known American fast food franchise, reports a 65 per cent drop in sales in restaurants specialising in poultry despite the fact that some companies have discounted prices by up to 70 per cent. "People believe that we import our chicken from abroad. This is not true. We have our own farms which are regularly sterilised. Chickens can suffer from many viruses but they are all destroyed at a far lower temperature than the 340 degrees we routinely use to cook our chicken. There is absolutely no reason to panic but it is impossible to explain that," complains El-Menyawy. The panic, understandably, is not restricted to consumers. The poultry industry supports an estimated 2.5 million Egyptians, and though poultry breeders and retailers have received promises of compensation from the government it is far from clear who is going to pay for the 1.5 million birds already slaughtered -- and there will be more to come -- let alone when. Mohamed El-Shafei, deputy head of the Poultry Producers Union, says the government plans to support farms hit by the outbreak of bird flu by buying up available healthy birds. Producers will be credited for lost stock, redeemable at the Principal Bank for Agricultural Development and Credit, which has branches throughout Egypt. To be eligible for compensation retailers and breeders are required to produce their business licenses together with details of the number of workers employed. Healthy birds, reveals El-Shafei, will be bought for LE3 per kilo. Farmers who have already slaughtered birds at government slaughter houses can collect the payments from the slaughter house which will then be reimbursed by the Holding Company for Food Industries. Farmers and retailers who are unable for whatever reason to slaughter birds at a registered abattoir are required to inform the head of their local governorate agricultural department who will then set up a committee to assess the extent of inventories. Infected birds will be bought for LE2 each. In a separate move the government has requested that the Principal Bank for Agricultural Development and Credit freeze interest payments on loans and reschedule bad debts. Poultry industry expert Abdel-Ghaffar Youssef says LE360 million has been earmarked to provide poultry farmers in Daqahliya with loans. "We have agreed with poultry breeders and merchants that each poultry farmer will be eligible for an interest free loan of LE15,000 to help tide them over the current crisis while retailers will be eligible for LE5,000 loans which will aid them in buying freezers so that they can switch to selling frozen poultry," said Youssef. There is no need to worry as poultry shops will be reopened within the coming few days. Ahmed Tawfik, head of the Egyptian Veterinary Medical Association (EVMA), says the EVMA is closely watching developments to ensure the appropriate preventative measures are fully implemented. Areas within a three- kilometre radius of infected sites are automatically quarantined, and bird vaccines are available to protect newly hatched chicks.
