200,000 Poultry Farm Workers Now Out Of Job

[george]

The bird flu situation in Thailand has put over 200,000 poultry farm workers out of job, according toa leading politician Sunday.

BANGKOK -- Premsak Phiayura, Chairman of the Parliamentary Labor Committee,was quoted by the Thai News Agency as saying Monday that the mass closure of chicken farms has hit north-easterners particularly hard.

Poultry workers who had migrated to provinces with large-scale chicken farms were now returning to their home provinces in droves, withdrawing their children and grandchildren from local schools, he said.

Calling on Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to provide extra compensation for poultry farm workers in addition to the 40 baht per chicken (1.02 US dollars) already promised, he warned that children were being denied an education as a result of the mass homeward migration.

So far Thailand confirmed that 24 provinces, particularly in the lower northern region, had been infected with bird flu virus, 18.70 million chickens were killed in the country, the report said.

--Agencies 2004-02-02

[plachon]

It's these disenfranchised workers and the ordinary villagers who've lost their native chicken breeds (along with their little remaining faith in govt.) to an ill-advised and executed cull, which'll be the biggest long term fall-out from this disease. Not easily quantifiable like poultry exports, but the social and economic ramifications are, as usual, falling heaviest on the most vulnerable members of society. Agro-biodiversity is another casualty, which cannot just be conjured upout of nothing after the disease has run its course. This is likely to be a permanent loss to the country.

[mrentoul]

Well put. I have a Thai friend who works in Bangkok, but whose family comes from Suphan Buri, one of the ''affected'' provinces (in newspaper talk). Her farmer brother had to stand by and watch last week as the men in white suits arrived and slaughtered his 10,000 poultry stock. His livelihood, gone in one day.

I would like to think Thaksin will feel the impact at the ballot box, I really would. One of his creepy ministers said the other day that he hoped farmers would learn from this experience and quit raising chickens in the open. We need to move to large, closed-system farms, he said...because they've survived much better through this crisis than ordinary chicken farms!

The gall of the man. They've survived better not because they are somehow superior but because the government decided to spare the lives of stock on large, closed-system plants. That decision in itself might be sound, but what about the small-scale farmers who have lost everything? Reeks of double standards.

Thaksin's chicken show at KFC was just as odd. What has KFC got to do with the lives of thousands of chicken farmers?

[markt]

When BSE hit the UK, some goverment minister fed his daughter a burger in front of the TV cameras to prove to the people that it was safe to eat.

Typical politicians move really.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Well put. I have a Thai friend who works in Bangkok, but whose family comes from Suphan Buri, one of the ''affected'' provinces (in newspaper talk). Her farmer brother had to stand by and watch last week as the men in white suits arrived and slaughtered his 10,000 poultry stock. His livelihood, gone in one day.

I would like to think Thaksin will feel the impact at the ballot box, I really would. One of his creepy ministers said the other day that he hoped farmers would learn from this experience and quit raising chickens in the open. We need to move to large, closed-system farms, he said...because they've survived much better through this crisis than ordinary chicken farms!

The gall of the man. They've survived better not because they are somehow superior but because the government decided to spare the lives of stock on large, closed-system plants. That decision in itself might be sound, but what about the small-scale farmers who have lost everything? Reeks of double standards.

Thaksin's chicken show at KFC was just as odd. What has KFC got to do with the lives of thousands of chicken farmers?

One is entitled to a liberal dose of cynicism here Michael. It looks as though the political master's couldn't run a bath.

[Rinrada]

"When BSE hit the UK, some goverment minister fed his daughter a burger in front of the TV cameras to prove to the people that it was safe to eat."

and then they got kicked out>>>>>>>

however unlike the UK and after the BSE crisis and the wholesale slaughter of all the little infected cows......the farmers affected got....let me think what do you call it.....o Yes ......COMPENSATION

[plachon]

Well put. I have a Thai friend who works in Bangkok, but whose family comes from Suphan Buri, one of the ''affected'' provinces (in newspaper talk). Her farmer brother had to stand by and watch last week as the men in white suits arrived and slaughtered his 10,000 poultry stock. His livelihood, gone in one day.

I would like to think Thaksin will feel the impact at the ballot box, I really would. One of his creepy ministers said the other day that he hoped farmers would learn from this experience and quit raising chickens in the open. We need to move to large, closed-system farms, he said...because they've survived much better through this crisis than ordinary chicken farms!

The gall of the man. They've survived better not because they are somehow superior but because the government decided to spare the lives of stock on large, closed-system plants. That decision in itself might be sound, but what about the small-scale farmers who have lost everything? Reeks of double standards.

Thaksin's chicken show at KFC was just as odd. What has KFC got to do with the lives of thousands of chicken farmers?

Unfortunately, this one blatant incident of govt., cover-up followed by lies, lies and more lies (look how the Hon Min for Tourism is still predicting a RISE! in tourism figures for February!!!!!!!!!), has still yet to stir the ordinary man in the street to think about changing political allegiance. The sad fact is, the vast majority of the electorate don't vote according to how honest their elected PM or MP is or has performed over their term of office. They expect the campaigning politicians to put notes in their pockets and then will offer their sworn allegiance. I've just seen it with the municipal elections of the last w/end, when a grand or so might secure you a vote. Nobody stops to consider how that expense will have to be recouped once in office, and so the great game goes on..........

What I really wonder is how much KFC and other multi-nationals have to pay the cookie masters to get their place in the sun? It's crystal that CP is a major contributor to party funds and needs its back scratched in a crisis like this.

[stumonster]

and how many daughters will be sent down to the big smoke to help the family survive?

and then they want to close the bars early?

life must look rosy out the window of the mercedes....######s