The Chinese government has issued regulations stating it will
compensate all poultry farmers whose flocks are compulsorily
slaughtered in the fight against bird flu.
The regulations on financial management of avian influenza
control jointly issued by the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of
Agriculture also announced subsidies for farmers who vaccinate
their birds whether compulsorily or voluntarily.
By law, all poultry within three kilometers of a suspected or
confirmed bird flu site must be slaughtered and all poultry within
five kilometers must be vaccinated.
The expenses of other quarantine and immunity measures will be
shared by provincial, municipal and county-level financial
departments.
Bird flu monitoring costs will be listed on central and local
budgets. Areas with financial difficulties will receive assistance
from the central government, the regulations stipulate.
The Ministry of Finance allocated the first batch of
compensation on Jan. 30.
(Xinhua News Agency February 11, 2004)