Times News Network

Bangalore, Apr 4: A team of media managers to allay fears on bird flu and subsidiaries and soft loans for poultry owners are among the plans that government is chalking out to help Rs 1900-crore poultry industry come out of the present crisis.

The government said poultry farmers have incurred a loss to the tune of Rs 196.50 crore in the last two months following bird flu scare.

Animal husbandry minister V S Acharya said the government was considering at least 25% subsidy on wheat purchased by poultry farmers until the scare dies.

Chairing a meeting of representatives of National Egg Coordination Committee, NABARD, Karnataka Cooperative Poultry Federation, Karnataka Hatcheries Association, Food Corporation of India and SLBA and poultry farmers, he said: "The subsidy would reduce the feed cost for the farmers by at least 50%.

They make a turnover of Rs 1,900 crore annually and we must help them at least retain this, if not increase."He said the government will urge the State-Level Bankers' Association (SLBA) to offer a customerfriendly loan-repayment facility for poultry farmers.

Animal Husbandry Commissioner and Veterinary Sciences, V S Ashwat, advised the poultry owners to vaccinate the chicken. Mid-day meal: The government turned down the request of the poultry associations to introduce egg in the mid-day meal in the state. Acharya said the decision will be put on hold till June 2006.

"We will wait for the schools to re-open. Also we want the scare to die down, lest it will lead to chaos. It is difficult to monitor if every is egg properly boiled,"he said.