Amid outbreaks of bird flu, duck farming at a critical juncture in Kerala’s Kuttanad

Amid outbreaks of bird flu, duck farming at a critical juncture in Kerala’s Kuttanad

Recurring bird flu outbreaks have put duck farming, a consistent source of income for several families in the Kuttanad region in Kerala, at a crossroads. The latest bout of avian influenza (H5N1) has resulted in the death/culling of over 65,000 birds, mostly ducks, at six hotspots-five in Alappuzha and one in Kottayam district, causing a sense of uncertainty and apprehension among stakeholders.

Abraham Ouseph, a seasoned duck farmer from ward 1 (Kodupunna) in Edathua grama panchayat in Alappuzha, lost his entire flock of 7,500 ducks to the outbreak two weeks ago.

“After ducks started to drop dead, I informed the Animal Husbandry Department (AHD). Tests confirmed bird flu. The rest of the ducks were culled by rapid response teams of the AHD. Though the region has witnessed several bird flu outbreaks, my flock was affected for the first time. I have been raising ducks after taking a loan. I suffered losses to the tune of lakhs. I am not thinking about a return to duck farming any time soon,” says Mr. Ouseph, adding that the promised government compensation was too little.

With Kuttanad reporting six avian flu outbreaks in the past 10 years, the number of big duck farmers in the backwater region has dwindled from thousands to hundreds. More big and small duck farmers are considering abandoning the business entirely, terming the latest outbreak the “final nail in the coffin”.

It casts doubt over the sustainability and viability of traditional duck farming practices in the region. Though the outbreak has directly impacted only a small number of farmers, it put almost all the stakeholders in trouble with the authorities regulating the trade of meat and eggs of ducks along with chicken and quail in a bid to tackle the spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza. According to farmers’ associations, between 10 lakh and 15 lakh ducks are reared in the region annually. The production is certain to fall further if bird flu continues to wreak havoc in the region, they say.

Unlike the poultry farming method of rearing birds indoors, farmers in Kuttanad, known for its vast backwaters and paddy fields, rear ducks (Chara and Chembally- two local breeds) in the open. They move ducks from one place to another for feeding. This, according to experts, makes the birds more vulnerable to diseases like avian influenza as the place is frequented by migratory birds.

Experts say that being a threat to human health and affecting tourism, avian influenza outbreaks should be handled with due importance but at the same time government should provide all support to duck farmers. “It is difficult to control and eradicate bird flu. At the same time, things can be done to make the outbreaks less severe. Steps should be taken to boost the immunity of ducks. As there is a real threat of local breeds going extinct, it is important to conserve germplasms,” says A. Jalaludeen former Director of Academics and Research, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, adding that stringent post-outbreak restrictions are damaging the poultry sector.