Compensation for farmers affected by the avian influenza outbreak must be paid out before the Lunar New Year (February 19), Premier Mao Chi-kuo instructed today.
Even if the full amount of compensation cannot be provided at the time, a relatively large proportion should be, Mao said. The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics should be flexible about disbursements and do its utmost to provide the best possible compensation, he urged.
The premier made these remarks at today's Cabinet meeting after a Council of Agriculture (COA) update about the epidemic and relevant prevention measures. He also stated central and local governments must continue working together to accomplish their top priority: swift eradication of the epidemic.
Mao instructed the COA and other relevant agencies to provide more support to local governments carrying out relevant prevention measures. Central-local collaboration will be most effective if proper communication and explanations are conducted whenever there are difficulties, he said.
The premier asked the local governments to conduct strict control to prevent illegal slaughters and arbitrary disposal of carcasses.
To assist with rehabilitation of poultry production, Mao asked the COA to bring together the expertise and resources of its subordinate agencies in order to actively prepare breeder sources and guarantee the quality of chicks. The COA should offer technical guidance and help the industry to quickly recover. Moreover, a poultry-shed feeding and management system guaranteeing animals a high degree of safety should be gradually instituted, he said, noting this would also promote industrial upgrading.
The epidemic has now spread to landfowl, the premier pointed out. Some citizens are too afraid to eat chicken and have decided to buy more pork instead, and this substitution has been reflected in pork prices. In order to stabilize supply and demand and ensure reasonable prices of poultry and livestock products, the COA must adjust related production and sales while continuing to communicate with the public about safe poultry-product consumption, the premier stated.