- Title: THAILAND: 'BIOSECURE' FARMS HOPE TO STOP THE SPREAD OF AVIAN FLU IN THAILAND
- Date: 10th March 2005
- Summary: (W2) PATHUM THANI, THAILAND (MARCH 10, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. SLV LIVESTOCK DEPARTMENT CAR DRIVING THROUGH DISINFECTANT SPRAY TO ENTER "BIOSECURE" CHICKEN FARM 0.04 2. CU OF DISINFECTANT SPARY 0.09 3. SLV CAR DRIVING THROUGH SPRAY 0.15 (W2) SUPHAN BURI, THAILAND (MARCH 10, 2004) (REUTERS) 4. SLV FARMER WALKING INTO DISINFECTANT FOOT BATH 0.21 5. CU FARMER PUTTING ON MASK 0.26 6. CU FARMER PUTTING ON BOOTS 0.32 7. SLV FARMER WALKING INTO CHICKEN BARN 0.36 8. LV OF BARN FULL OF BABY CHICKENS 0.40 9. CU CHICKENS 0.46 10. SV OF FARMER FEEDING CHICKENS (2 SHOTS) 0.54 11. CU/SV/LV MORE OF CHICKENS IN BARN (5 SHOTS) 1.19 12. SLV FARMER CLOSING AND SEALING DOOR 1.24 (W2) PATHUM THANI, THAILAND (MARCH 10, 2005) (REUTERS) 13. MCU (Thai) AGRICULTURE DIRECTOR OF CHICKEN EXPORTERS GRAMPIAN FOODS SIAM, PONGPAN POTICHOETE, SAYING: "Thais have a long history and culture of living with chickens in the backyard for food, and enjoying sports like cock fighting. It's impossible to change that overnight, but what we can do is to educate people on how to protect themselves." 1.54 14. SLV OF DISINFECTANT AREA WITH SHOWER ROOMS FOR MEN AND WOMEN 1.59 15. CU/SLV VARIOUS OF CHEMICAL DISINFECTANTS (4 SHOTS) 2.22 16. MCU (Thai) 32-YEAR-OLD FARMER NAOWANA STIENRUM SAYING: "I'm worried and afraid, but I think I will keep going on with the business" 2.28 (W2) SUPHAN BURI, THAILAND (MARCH 10, 2005) (REUTERS) 17. LV OF CHICKEN AND DUCK FARM 2.34 18. LV OF DUCKS IN WATER PENNED IN BY NETTING (3 SHOTS) 2.50 19. CU OF CHICKENS IN FARM BEHIND NETTING (3 SHOTS) 3.05 20. CU/SV OF MAN PACKING EGGS ONTO TRUCK (3 SHOTS) 3.21 21. MCU (Thai) FARMER BOON CHOO SAYING: "We're a small farm without a large amount of land. This "closed" system needs huge capital that we can't afford. We would need a few million baht to set up that kind of system. It's difficult for us. If you ask me if I think it's a good idea, I'd say yes, but we just can't afford it." 3.48 22. LV OF FARM 3.52 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 25th March 2005 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PATHUM THANI AND SAPHAN BURI, THAILAND
- Country: Thailand
- Reuters ID: LVADGSUFQCQOJZHVKGTKD2UL2NQT
- Story Text: 'Biosecure' farms hope to stop the spread of avian
flu in Thailand, but small farmers say they need help.
In the battle against bird flu, farms in Thailand
are leading the way in developing methods to protect
poultry against the virulent disease which has swept across
southeast Asia.
Sealed barns with concrete floors, fans circulating
clean air, a standardised feeding system and protective
netting around buildings are all in place to protect
chickens from any possible infection.
No visitors can enter without first showering, while
cars and trucks must be sprayed thoroughly with
disinfectant. Experts at a bird flu meeting in Ho Chi Minh this
week have agreed that improved biosecurity measures such as
these are vital if there is to be a hope of containing the
disease before it mutates into a form that can pass between
humans and sets off a pandemic.
Acoording to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation
of the United Nations), some 40 million southeast Asian
households are raising poultry in their backyards, with
little or no biosecurity measures.
Pongpan Potichote, agricultural director of Thai
chicken exporter Grampian Foods Siam, has been trying to
encourage farms to change their ways.
Thailand's chicken exports fell 60 percent in 2004 to
just 200,000 tonnes. Much will have to be done if exporters
want to win back the confidence of customers in the
European Union and Japan.
"Thais have a long history and culture of living with
chickens in the backyard for food, and enjoying sports like
cock fighting. It's impossible to change that overnight,
but what we can do is to educate people on how to protect
themselves," said Pongpan.
But while education can help, the cost of such measures
is likely to prove a greater obstacle for many small
farmers in Thailand.
This farm cost 6 million baht (156,900 U.S. dollars) to
secure - the disinfectant showers alone cost 50,000 baht
(1,300 U.S. dollars).
Farm owner Naowana Stienrum says the cost has been
worth it. She is terrified her chickens will contract the
disease, and has done everything she can to keep people
from bringing infection from what she calls the "dirty
zone" outside her farm.
"I'm worried and afraid, but I think I will keep going
on with the business," she said.
But small farmers say there is no way they can afford
to install measures on the same scale.
With production costs rising, exports falling and often
crippling loans to pay off, many chicken producers say they
are struggling just to break even.
Boon Choo owns 11 open air duck and chicken farms in
Suphan Buri. Last year he had to cull 35,000 birds and is
now finding it hard to make ends meet.
He can't afford to make his farms biosecure, so has had
to fall back on breeding chickens for eggs rather than
export since he can't fulfill strict regulations put in
place by the European Union and Japan.
"We're a small farm without a large amount of land.
This "closed" system needs huge capital that we can't
afford. We would need a few million baht to set up that
kind of system. It's difficult for us. If you ask me if I
think it's a good idea, I'd say yes, but we just can't
afford it," he said.
He wants the government to provide free vaccinations
for all birds.
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