ALAPPUZHA: As the bird flu-hit ducks are perishing by the thousands in Kuttanad, so are the dreams of the farmers who had hoped to get a windfall during the Christmas-New Year season.
The farmers as well as meat sellers were aiming to do business worth Rs 7 crore, but they are all sea now with the authorities deciding to cull the remaining birds, which have no insurance cover also.
A duck farmer K.T. Kuttappan, 52, Vazhappurath, Thalavady, had about 25,640 matured ducks. However, on November 10, his 15,000 ducks fell ill and died in Pongepadam of Nedumudi panchayat.
“I saw the feverish ducks shiver before perishing in hundreds. But I failed to judge the potential spread of the fever. The remaining 10, 000 ducks are still alive without any fever symptoms. So, how can you come to the conclusion that the ducks died due to bird flu? he asks.
Kuttappan, who takes care of flocks of ducks in the harvested paddy fields, has landed in huge financial liability. This Christmas season was the deadline to repay the '8-lakh loan availed of by him from the State Bank of Travancore, Edathwa for the business.
“About 20 lakh ducks are still alive in various hatcheries, nurseries, and vendors’ shops. How can 1,000 farmers kill them all?” asks Samuel Pallipad, state secretary, All-Kerala Duck Farmers’ Society, who has about 12,000 ducks.
The duck business in Kuttanad is linked to a long supply chain starting from the hatchery to meat sellers and comprising hundreds of beneficiaries.
The farmers are adamant about not allowing the officials to cull the ducks until the bird flu is confirmed. “We were taking care of ducklings for the last three-four months spending sleepless nights.
Now all our efforts have gone awry. There will be no takers for duck meat in this season,” laments B. Rajasekaran, state president of All- Kerala Duck Farmers’ Society. He asked the government to declare a compensation of at least Rs 250 per duck.
J. Raju, a duck meat vendor in Mankombu, says he has already spent Rs 3 lakh for the season. “The shop owners here sell a duck for at least Rs 250 and I used to get business of about 1,000 ducks a day. We had good weather this year. But, this unexpected blow has scuttled all our business plans,” he says.
