May 24: The number of people engaged in poultry farming has declined due to the outbreak of Ranikhet disease. Most of the poultry farmers have stopped raising chickens after millions of chickens died due to the Ranikhet (Newcastle) disease across the country in the last four to five months. Newcastle disease is a highly contagious disease of birds caused by paramyxovirus.

According to the Central Livestock Disease Research Laboratory, Tripureshwor, the disease has been brought under control to some extent but farmers have not been able to raise chicken due to the damage it has already done. Dr Nawa Shrestha, an authorized veterinarian of the laboratory,  said that about 20 percent of farmers have stopped raising chickens due to the disease.

He claimed that millions of chickens had died and tens of millions of rupees have been lost due to the disease. "Farmers are suffering financially and mentally and are afraid to raise chickens," he said.

Earlier, 15 samples were tested daily at the central laboratory out of which more than 10 cases of Newcastle disease were detected, but now only five cases are confirmed on a daily basis, he said.

However, Dr Shrestha acknowledged that the numbers were not sufficient to confirm that the disease as been controlled.  As the disease is transmitted through a virus, if a farmer vaccinates his/her chicken beforehand, there is high changes of the disease being controlled.

However, he warned that the virus might have mutated and the vaccine might not have been able to control it.

Since the vaccine has not worked effectively, farmers are now increasing the doses of the vaccine, as advised by doctors. Earlier, two doses of vaccine worked, but now a third dose has to be given.

It is said that the overall production of poultry has also decreased by about 40 percent along with the reduced number of poultry farmers due to the fear of the disease.

According to Dinesh Raj Mishra, general secretary of the Nepal Poultry Federation, there is not much problem in the market due to the lockdown. However, there will be a shortage of meats in the market after the lockdown due to the decline in production.

Farmers are not permanently engaged in producing broiler chickens. Every three years, 90 percent of the new farmers surface. It is said that most of the old farmers are also worried due to the current lockdown and the outbreak of the disease.