99.5% poultry farms free from bird flu: Punjab Minister

Chandigarh, Jan 29 (IANS) Punjab Animal Husbandry Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa on Friday said 99.5 per cent of the poultry farms in the state are free from bird flu."The government aims to test 100 per cent of all poultry farms and backyard poultry in the state," he said.On the prevention of bird flu, Additional Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua said 8,022 samples have been tested at Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Jalandhar.There are 641 egg-laying poultry farms and 2,851 meat production farms in the state and the laboratory has collected and tested samples from 750 farms, he said.He said the state government would extend full support to the poultry farmers for conducting the tests of their poultry farms and the tests would be free of cost.
--IANS vg/sdr/