Kathmandu — The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Environment has released NPR 500 million to the Department of Livestock Services to provide compensation to farmers affected by the bird flu outbreak.
The allocated funds will be used to compensate farmers in 11 districts where poultry, eggs, and feed were destroyed following confirmed cases of avian influenza (bird flu). The Department had requested the Ministry to allocate the necessary budget to provide financial relief to farmers who suffered economic losses due to the outbreak.
According to Dr. Mukul Upadhyay, spokesperson for the Department of Livestock Services, affected farmers will receive compensation of up to 75 percent of their verified losses.
The Department stated that approximately 700,000 birds, 1.1 million eggs, and 300,000 kilograms of poultry feed were destroyed after bird flu infections were confirmed in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kavrepalanchok, Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Mahottari, Bara, Chitwan, and Nawalparasi districts. The total economic loss is estimated at around NPR 700 million.
Under the Bird Flu Control (Fourth Amendment) Regulation, 2074 (2017/18), owners are entitled to compensation of up to 75 percent of the assessed value of destroyed poultry, poultry products, and poultry production materials based on verified loss assessments.
The bird flu outbreak, which began spreading from eastern Nepal in mid-March (Chaitra), has now been confirmed in 11 districts. Due to the risk of mutation and further transmission of the virus, infected poultry, eggs, and feed were destroyed as part of disease containment measures, the Department said.
To strengthen disease control efforts, the Department has established a Bird Flu Control Unit under the leadership of its Deputy Director General. Coordinated efforts involving the federal, provincial, and local governments are continuing to contain the outbreak in the affected areas.
