Asia needs investment to revive poultry business

Asian ravaged by bird flu must invest in veterinary systems to revive lucrative poultry industries hit by the outbreak, which will take at least a year to eradicate, animal health experts said on Friday.

Samuel Jutzi, head of animal health at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, said the hardest-hit countries, such as Thailand and Vietnam, needed at least US$30 million in aid.

"If you're talking about the total cost, including restocking and compensation, you could go into billions of dollars, but we're certainly not going to present that to donors," Jutzi told a news conference.

"Figures of 30 million to 40 million have certainly been quoted," he said. "There are investment opportunities to strengthen national veterinary systems."

Yesterday, at the end of a three-day meeting in Bangkok, 23 Asia-Pacific countries, world animal health experts and international aid donors were due to agree a plan to fight the virus and control future outbreaks quickly.

Thailand's poultry industry, which earns more than US$1 billion dollars a year in exports, has been brought to its knees by import bans imposed by the EU and Japan.

Many the closed farms are family-run and have racked up thousands of dollars in debt to the large poultry companies they supply.

Bernard Vallat, head of the world animal health body OIE (Organisation International des Epizooties), said many developing Asian countries needed to invest in "good surveillance, good education of farmers and good legislation" to restore the confidence of trading partners.

"I can say the cost of a lack of transparency is very high in the international market," Vallat told the news conference.

"Transparency is a very good investment because the trust of partners is one of the most important things in trade of animals."

The Thai government, accused of hiding bird flu for weeks by domestic newspapers and the main opposition party, says some agencies "screwed up" but denies a cover-up.