Govt to provide Rs 520m relief to poultry farmers within week

KATHMANDU: The Department of Livestock Services has prepared to provide Rs 520 million to poultry farmers who suffered business losses after bird flu spread across 11 districts. The department said the relief will be disbursed within a week.

The payment will cover at least 75% of verified losses, the department said, noting that chickens, eggs and feed were destroyed as part of disease‑control measures.

Spokesperson Mukul Upadhyaya said farmers whose losses are verified after applying for relief will receive payment through the banking system within a week. He added that farmers who miss the deadline to claim within this fiscal year will be ensured payment next year.

Compensation amounts are determined under the Bird Flu Control Regulation following a verification process, Upadhyaya said. He urged poultry owners to apply at their District Livestock Service Office and submit evidence of destroyed chickens, eggs and feed.

The districts most affected by the outbreak are Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kavrepalanchok, Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Mahottari, Bara, Chitwan and Nawalparasi. So far, the government has destroyed nearly 700,000 chickens, 1.1 million eggs and 330 tonnes of feed. Farmers’ losses are estimated at Rs 700 million.

By RSS