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Russian Poultry Sector Agency Estimates Avian Flu Damage at R110m

Posted on: Friday, 7 October 2005, 09:00 CDT

Text of report by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS

Moscow, 7 October: Total damage caused to the Russian poultry sector by avian influenza is estimated at R110m [over 38m dollars at current rate], the president of the Russian poultry union, Vladimir Fisinin, told journalists today.

He said that "since the emergence of the dangerous virus in the country, 144,200 birds have been exterminated at private farms alone".

Nonetheless, "some 1.3m tonnes of poultry meat will be produced in Russia this year, which is 184,000 tonnes (17 per cent) more than last year", Fisinin said. The average consumption of poultry per person will be 16.8kg, including 9.5kg of domestically produced poultry, he said. According to Fisinin, "this is one kilogram more than in 2004".

"This year's favourable situation on the grain market creates reliable conditions for stable increase in production levels in 2006, including an increase of 200,000 tonnes in poultry meat production and an increase of one billion in egg output," he said.

[Source: ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in Russian 0946 gmt 7 Oct 05 quoted a Kurgan Region veterinary service official as saying that 100,000 chickens have been slain at Utyatskaya poultry farm where an avian flu outbreak has been confirmed]

Source: BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union

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