Cost of poultry rises as bird flu economics drives farmers out of business

BANGKOK: -- The avian influenza -- bird flu -- is feared to be forcing poultry farmers out of business since the authorities suggest they turn from open farms to closed-farm systems, and driving up the market price of chicken meat and eggs.

Suchon Tangthaweewipat, deputy dean of Chiang Mai University's agriculture faculty, disclosed that the number of chicken farmers in the northern provinces of Lampoon, Nan and Chiang Mai had remarkably dropped by 17 to 21 percent since at the height of the bird flu epidemic in these provinces.

About 23 percent of Thailand's small, and medium-sized chicken farmers are thought to have turned to other occupations, while as many as 75 percent of the nation's present small farmers are feared incapable of running large-sized chicken farms due to increased costs and management concerns.

Mr. Suchon said Thailand's poultry industry, like those in other countries, would in future likely belong to big companies while ordinary 'small' farmers would continue to suffer losses and finally go out of business.

Prices of live chickens and eggs have increased due to remarkable drops in production volumes throughout the country, the deputy dean said. The domestic price for a one-month-old chicken has risen from 80 baht to 140 baht.

However, the academic called on the government to provide assistance for small- and medium-sized farmers and confirmed the bird flu could be effectively put under control, should appropriate, prompt measures be taken.

National Research Commission secretary general Anond Bunyaratwet said his agency had been allocated a 10 million baht fund to conduct thorough research on the epidemic.

--TNA 2005-09-14

It's difficult to be a farmer these days. It's also apparently difficult to be a chicken!