Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Mar 29: Banned by World Health Organisation (WHO), chicken fed with banned antibiotics continue to flow into Jammu and Kashmir, thus posing a threat to health.
The WHO has banned broiler chicken fed with antibiotics. The Drug and Food Control Organisation has issued an advisory that the poultry farm dealers shall stop use of antibiotics in poultry birds 72 hours (3 days) prior supplying to market.
At the same time, Kashmir consumes around six crore broiler chicken fed with antibiotics that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has banned, sources said.
Same is case with Jammu region, where the chicken fed with antibiotics are being sold openly.
A poultry officer said that chicken that are provided good nutrition, clean water and kept in hygienic pens don't need antibiotics. "Consumers abroad are aware of concepts like free-range chicken farming and pastured poultry which require that animals be reared ethically. But consumers here remain largely ignorant of these issues," he said. "Antibiotics are being used as a cheap substitute for basic nutrition and treatment," he said.
He said when people eat chicken sourced from poultry raised on growth promoters, they ingest antibiotic-resistant bacteria that were harboured within the chicken.
In1986, Sweden banned the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in the poultry industry as a result of consumer awareness. In 2006, the EU banned the use of antibiotics used in humans as poultry growth promoters. "In 2015, the US introduced the veterinary feed directive whereby the use of drugs on the veterinary feed directive list is permitted only under the professional supervision of a licensed veterinarian. This is a step in the right direction," he said.
The Sher-e-Kashmir University of Science and Technology, Kashmir, has come up with horti-poultry model-a concept to produce complete organic chicken.
For producing organic chicken, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ganderbal under the guidance of Centre for Research on Poultry, division of LPM, SKUAST-K has purchased 'Vanraja' birds (chicken) of one moth old to implement the concept.
An official said birds are being given free access to orchard during day and confined to shelter during night.
"Birds are allowed to feed on herbage, insects and other scavenging resources during the day and in the evening hours are offered kitchen waste comprising of leftover rice, vegetable waste, egg shells, and leftover pulses," he said. "If this model gets succeed, there will be less use of antibiotic fed chicken," he said.
He said that concept of this model was to use make full use of horticulture land. "The model ensures to exploit the existing orchard, labour, shed optimally and therefore no additional land and material is required to implement the model.
It will also help in deweeding of the orchard and revival of backyard poultry farming," he said.
Kashmir valley alone 1.62 lakh hectares of land is under fresh fruits and 58,041 hectares of land is under dry fruits. |
