Waykanan Stops Duck Supply From Java

Waykanan, Lampung, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - The Administration of Waykanan, Lampung, has temporarily stopped supplying ducks from Java to prevent the spread of the avian influenza (AI) virus that killed thousands of ducks in a neighbouring island several days ago. "If there has been any trade involving supply of ducks from the region, especially Java, it should be reported immediately to prevent any unwanted situation," the Head of Livestock Division of the Agriculture Livestock and Fishery Office of Waykanan, Kardi Wasito, said here on Thursday. The Lampung Provincial Administration issued a policy to temporarily halt the supply of ducks from Java after an outbreak of avian flu in several parts of the island. �However, not a single case of avian flu has been reported in Waykanan yet. Every Technical Operation Unit (UPT) in every subdistrict has been asked to monitor the supply of ducks and report if there is any case of avian flu,� Kardi stated. According to official data, as of September 2012, there were 5,254 productive female ducks out of a total of 17,515 female ducks � an increase from the same period the previous year, when there were 5,104 productive females out of 17,014. The local price of a productive female duck is Rp35,000, while duck eggs cost Rp45,000 per carton. Some local people are still consuming duck eggs. Following medical advice, they cook the eggs in boiling water for at least 10 minutes to minimise the risk of contracting the avian flu virus. Previously, a strain of the H5N1 virus (avian flu) killed thousands of ducks in Yogyakarta, Central Java and East Java. The strain was named H5N1 claude 2.3.2, which only infected ducks. It is different from H5N1 claude 2.1.3, which infects chickens and humans. The Indonesian government has set itself a target of producing a vaccine against avian influenza by the end of this year. Coordinating Minister of People�s Welfare Agung Laksono said: �Although we have yet to put in a place a system of providing compensation, we will have to cull as many ducks as is necessary to prevent an avian flu outbreak.� "However, we will soon implement a policy on compensation. As of now, it remains a challenge for us," he added.