H7N9 Avian Influenza scare hits Poultry Industry Beijing plans to save 90 million

The Beijing City government has decided to provide financial assistance to rescue poultry farming, which has been hit hard by the H7N9 scare.

Zhao Genwu, director of Beijing City Agriculture Bureau, revealed at the Beijing City Work Deployment Meeting on Promoting Stable Development of Poultry Industry held on April 19 that the subsidy fund may reach 90 million yuan.

However, the city agriculture bureau personage stressed to our reporter, 90 million yuan is only a preliminary estimate of the figure, accurate subsidy scale has yet to be finalized

It is reported that after Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui where H7N9 epidemic situation is concentrated, Beijing City also issued the Notice on Promoting the Stable Development of Poultry Industry in Beijing. In addition to deciding to give financial subsidies to the poultry industry affected by Beijing's prevention and control of H7N9 avian influenza, it also issued four support policies aimed at ensuring effective supply and price stability of poultry products market and protecting the interests of farm operators.

The subsidy may reach 90 million yuan

The support policy for poultry industry announced on April 19 was formulated by Beijing City Agriculture Bureau together with Municipal Agriculture Committee and Municipal Finance Bureau. The subsidy fund comes from Beijing City Finance Bureau.

The specific subsidy rules are that production maintenance subsidies will be given to poultry farms that have obtained production and operation licenses in the whole city. The subsidy time is from April 13 to May 13, and the subsidy standard is 10 yuan for each adult poultry. The number of subsidized breeding birds shall be subject to the number of adult breeding birds in the breeding farms of this city at the end of March.

One-time subsidy shall be given to large-scale laying hen farms registered and filed in this city, and the subsidy standard is RMB 3 yuan for each adult laying hen; one-time subsidy shall be given to meat pigeon farms, and the subsidy standard is RMB 2 yuan for each meat pigeon. The number of subsidies shall be subject to the number of registered farms in this city at the end of March this year.

A one-time hardship subsidy will also be given to professional households that raise poultry in various districts and counties under the jurisdiction of Beijing City. The specific subsidy scheme shall be formulated by the district and county governments themselves.

In addition, the government will also provide subsidies to designated meat and poultry slaughtering enterprises, so that these enterprises can purchase meat and poultry raised in this city according to the stocking purchase contract, and provide fixed subsidies for storage expenses of poultry products affected by H7N9 avian influenza and blocked in sales. The subsidy standard is 700 yuan per ton, and the subsidy time is from April 13 to May 13.

These four support policies are basically the same as similar policies issued in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui and other places before, but also slightly different.

For example, Shanghai City poultry farms give production maintenance subsidies of 15 yuan per adult breeding bird, Beijing subsidies of 10 yuan. In addition, Shanghai implements fixed-point protection price purchase for broilers and eliminated laying hens within the whole city, Anhui stipulates that provincial agricultural industrialization leading enterprises engaged in poultry breeding and processing in Anhui Province shall be given 50% discount interest rate of working capital loan interest rate, while Beijing has no such regulations.

"No intention to liberalize the live poultry trade"

Along with the rescue policy for the poultry industry, another controversy involving the farming industry is whether the ban policy on live poultry markets is effective.

"Since the prevention and control of bird flu in 2004, Beijing City has formulated a policy to close all live poultry trading markets in Beijing. It has been insisting for so many years that there is no live poultry trading market in all major markets in Beijing." April 18,, Beijing City major animal and plant epidemic emergency headquarters office deputy director Yao Jiezhang to our reporter said.

It is understood that bird flu broke out in Southeast Asia at the end of 2003 and early 2004, when Beijing temporarily closed all live poultry markets. After avian flu, controls on the live poultry market were loosened.

On March 24, 2004, Beijing City issued the Opinions on the Next Steps of Prevention and Control of Major Animal Diseases in Beijing, which mentioned that in view of the stabilization of the national highly pathogenic avian influenza epidemic situation, live poultry trading should be resumed in Beijing, but the trading place must be relatively independent and convenient for disinfection. It is strictly prohibited to slaughter live birds on site.

In November 2005, affected by a new wave of avian influenza epidemic, Beijing City government announced once again that the city suspended live poultry trading activities. After the epidemic, it has not been clear whether the live poultry market will be lifted. The shutdown has actually lasted for seven years.

Meanwhile, in 2006, many citizens called Beijing Agriculture Bureau to open the live poultry market trading,"reflected groups mainly concentrated in the catering industry, the elderly and patients, they hope to drink firewood chicken soup, at that time also had to consider opening the gate." Yao Jiezhang recalled.

Therefore, on June 16,2006, Beijing City Agriculture Bureau issued a notice saying that Beijing live poultry trade can be resumed conditionally. It is also stipulated that markets and stalls engaged in live poultry (including birds) trading activities must be examined by the local animal epidemic prevention supervision agency to obtain the Animal Epidemic Prevention Certificate before engaging in live poultry trading.