Dikhyaa Mohanty 
In response to the bird flu outbreak in Puri district, the government of West Bengal has placed an immediate restriction on the importation of poultry goods from Odisha. According to sources, the prohibition, which went into place a few days ago, has restricted the movement of live chickens, eggs, and other items.
“Joint teams of police and Animal Husbandry department of WB government are preventing entry of poultry birds and eggs from Odisha at the border posts. Though they allowed consignments carrying birds from Andhra Pradesh, vehicles with Odisha registration number were sent back,” sources said.
With significant financial losses ahead of them, traders and farmers are concerned about the decision. Every day, Odisha sends WB over 100 tonnes of chicken birds. According to TK Sahu, manager of a well-known integrator of poultry goods, they have agreements and arrangements in place to provide WB with about 20 tonnes of chicken each day. “This ban is a huge loss for our business, not just a setback,” he continued. On the other hand, the state government promised that it was taking the required actions to manage the situation and lessen its effects on nearby farmers and traders.
Dr. Jagannath Nanda, the additional director of animal disease control, stated that poultry integrators have been requested to notify their affiliated farmers to notify local authorities if they suspect a case of bird flu and that they need to sanitize their farms.
