ENB government plans to rid poultry disease

By ELIZABETH VUVU
THE East New Britain provincial government will request for K4.5 million from the National Government to fund a plan of action against the Newcastle disease that has destroyed local poultry in some Rabaul villages.
The provincial assembly last week gave the green light for the provincial government to put a submission through the National Executive Council for the Agriculture and Livestock Department to release the fund for this purpose.
In a policy statement to the provincial assembly, chairman for Agriculture and Livestock Philip Kameng said the funding would be used mainly for the implementation of the Newcastle disease response plan of action as an effective means to counteract the spread of the chicken virus.
He said a technical team had been appointed by the ENB Disaster and Emergency Committee, whose task was to prepare an emergency response plan to oversee the implementation of the fight against the poultry disease.
The technical team, chaired by Tom Peni of DAL, has representatives from stakeholders in the agriculture and livestock sector and experts from NAQIA, CCI, NARI and the Vudal University.
It is supported by a permanent veterinary officer, who is already giving advice on effective means of preventing the disease from spreading, and also carrying out surveillance within the affected areas.
Mr Kameng said the whole province had been declared a quarantine zone for avian species resulting in quarantine checkpoints being established at all ports of entry with the restriction on transportation or movement of birds and other poultry products in and out of the province.

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