Six deer perish in Changa Manga forest zoo

As many as six deer showing signs of foot and mouth disease died in Changa Manga forest zoo in district Kasur for which medical investigation is underway.

A spokesman from Wildlife Department told APP here on Saturday that these animals died between Dec 22-31.

He said the outbreak of foot & mouth disease may be the reason behind the deaths but a fact finding team was probing the incident. 

The post-mortem reports and findings of a special team from veterinary university are awaited to reach the conclusions, he added. 

He stressed that all the precautionary measures have been taken to control even the remote chances of disease by vaccinating the animals, including 56 remaining deer. “Last deer died on Dec 31 and there is no further death because of the steps taken for their protection”, he added.

The spokesman rejected the impression that the animals died because of cold or lack of proper diet.

Foot and mouth is a viral disease and it can spread any where, he said adding, the livestock farmers must also protect their animals.

There are more than 70 other animals in the zoo including monflen sheep, black deer and white antelopes. 

APP

Clearing mango orchards for more profitable crops

Declining profitability is forcing mango orchard owners in Sindh to shift to other crops that are of short duration and offer better returns. Cases of chopping mango trees are being reported from areas that are traditionally known for mango production.

Owners are doing away with their orchards or partially cleared them of mango trees. In few cases, the growers do plan re-planting of trees but that would take at least a decade to bear fruit.

Mango producers with 25 acres or less are eyeing cultivation of cotton, onion, wheat and sugarcane. These crops are more lucrative than mango. They cite decline in profitability margin because of water shortage in some areas, water-logging and `mango sudden death syndrome (MSDS)’. Growers say that when they have more viable options for better returns why they should wait for full one year for mango income. However, what growers tend to lose sight of is that in majority of cases orchards are not looked after by them. They are given on contracts for harvesting on yearly basis.

Progressive farmers like Imdad Nizamani of Tando Allahyar support the view of mango orchard owners. Trees felling has increased. Growers are preparing their land to change soil’s texture to cultivate alternative crops that give better yield. They have started producing onion, cotton and wheat on the land cleared of orchards.

Mango is grown on 56,000 hectares in Sindh with a production of 394,000 tons annually. Mirpurkhas alone produces the fruit on 12,000 hectares. It is a traditionally mango-rich district of Sindh with the most popular variety of Sindhri. Reports of chopping mango trees are also coming from this district.

Sindh Horticulture Research Institute Director Dr Atta Soomro laments that mango orchards are being cleared without paying any heed to the advice of the SHRI to improve mango production. “Growers approach us when their trees get dried. It means that MSDS has already afflicted the tree and caused their death. We can’t do anything at that time,’ he said. The growers need to report the initial symptoms of MSDS to the institute so that proper treatment may be given in time.

Azam Rind, a mango grower, has so far cleared 12 acres of his 40 acre mango orchard for more viable crops. He claims to have earned Rs8 million from onion crop while his orchard was giving him just Rs30,000 per acre in full one year. It is for everyone to take note of the difference,” says Rind.

Barring a few exceptions, growers haven’t learnt modern methods of growing, harvesting, preservation and marketing of mango that could boost their export.

Farmers like Haji Sharaf Deen Shah, who cleared his 15 acres of 30-year old orchard a couple of months back in Matiari, contend that when Sindh’s mango is ready for marketing, its export is not allowed by government and when it is allowed the fruit is not there. Likewise, Ajay Kumar has also cleared 60-70 acres of his orchard in Mirpurkhas over the last four years.

Sindh Abadgar Board general secretary Syed Mehmood Nawaz Shah says: “We are losing mango producing area. Those doing away with orchards are not replanting mango trees. I agree that growers tend to avoid handling marketing of their produce and give away their orchards to contractors. If they take care of orchards themselves, they could reverse the situation,” he said.

The Sindh Horticulture Research Institute proposes high density technique for mango orchard cultivation on vertical growth basis. The method envisages specific treeto-tree and row-to-row spacing for better production of fruit. Dr Soomro also says that MSDS is a controllable disease.

By and large, growers tend to avoid handling marketing of mango crop themselves as it is beyond an ordinary grower’s financial capacity. They prefer to hand over their orchards to contractors who then exclusively handle picking and marketing.

DAWN

Planting and Care Tips for Peach Trees

(Land Steward) When Picking, handle fruit carefully because peaches bruise very easily and decay develops rapidly.

When Selecting, look for peaches with a creamy to gold undercolor that best indicates ripeness. The amount of red blush on fruit depends on the variety and is not always a sign of ripeness. Two other indicators of ripeness are a well-defined crease and a good fragrance. Select fruit that has begun to soften for immediate use. Firm, ripe fruit can be held a few days at room temperature to ripen further. Never pick peaches with a green undercolor since they will not ripen well. They will shrivel, become flabby and never achieve a good flavor.

When Storing, peaches should be held at 32-35°F in high humidity. Fully ripened peaches should be refrigerated immediately and kept there until ready for consumption. Sound and mature, but not overripe, peaches can be expected to hold 1-2 weeks at 32-35° F with little adverse effects. Peaches deteriorate rapidly when stored for longer periods.

When Ripening, a room temperature of 65-70°F is best for mature peaches. There is no gain in sugar content once a peach is picked from a tree. Its ripening process consists primarily of softening, developing juiciness, and developing flavor. So the riper a peach is at harvest, the more sugar it will contain. Remember, once a mature peach begins to ripen, it never stops; but you can slow the rate of ripening by storing it in low temperatures.

When Preparing, wash peaches gently, peel, and remove pits. Handle carefully to avoid bruising. To peel a peach, dip it in boiling water for 30 seconds, then in cold water. The peel should slide off easily. To keep sliced peaches from darkening, dip in lemon juice or ascorbic acid.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE

A medium-sized fresh peach is full of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, and beta carotene. Peaches are also low in calories, fat-free, sodium-free, and cholesterol-free.

• Serving Size 1 
• Medium Peach 
• Calories 40 
• Protein 0.6g 
• Carbohydrates 10g 
• Fat 0g 
• Cholesterol 0mg 
• Sodium 0mg 
• Dietary Fiber 1.5g 
• Vitamin A 47RE

Site Selection, Soil Preparation, and Planting

Peaches or nectarines require full sunlight and should not receive shade from buildings or tall trees. If possible, select a site with a high elevation so that cold air can drain away from the tree on a cold night during bloom. The best site will have well drained sandy loam type soil. Peach or nectarine tree roots or rootstocks will not tolerate soils where water remains on or near the surface for more than one hour after a heavy rain.

Prepare the soil one to two years before planting so that soil pH, organic matter, and nutrient status can be modified for the production of high quality peaches and/or nectarines. Prepare a bed at least 5 to 6 feet in diameter by cultivating (spading) 10 to 12 inches deep and adding organic matter such as manure, leaves, grass clippings, and compost. Take a soil sample, have the soil tested by your local Extension office, and add the recommended lime and fertilizer. For best results, sample soils 6 to 8 inches deep every two to three years.

Plant your tree in the spring in the center of your prepared area. Keep the bud union 1 inch above the soil. Planting a peach or nectarine tree too deep in the soil can cause poor growth or death.

Training and Pruning

The open center system is recommended for peach and nectarine trees for maximum sunlight exposure, maximum yield, and best quality (Figure 1). Pruning and training should be done in the year of planting and every year after to develop a strong, well balanced framework of scaffolds (a tree with a strong trunk and well positioned side branches); and to maintain the balance between vegetative growth and fruit production.

Immediately after planting, prune the tree back to a height of 26 to 30 inches. Cut off all side branches to leave a whip (a shoot without lateral branches or with lateral branches removed) that is 26 to 30 inches tall. This sounds drastic; however, the best shaped open center trees come from those pruned initially to a whip.

During the first year, remove diseased, broken, and low-hanging limbs. Then remove vigorous upright shoots that may have developed on the inside of the main scaffolds and if left could shade the center.

During the second and third years, remove low-hanging, broken, and/or diseased limbs. To maintain the open vase, remove any vigorous upright shoots developing on the inside of the tree, leaving the smaller shoots for fruit production. Finally, prune the vigorous upright limbs on the scaffolds by cutting them back to an outward growing shoot.

The principles used to develop the trees are used to annually maintain the size and shape of the mature tree. Remove low-hanging, broken, and dead limbs first. Next, remove the vigorous upright shoots along the scaffolds. Lower the tree to the desired height by pruning the scaffolds to an outward growing shoot at the desired height.

Increase Fruit Size Through Thinning

In years without frost and freeze damage, more peaches will set than the tree can support and fruit must be thinned. Approximately three to four weeks after bloom or when the largest fruit are as large as a quarter, fruits should be removed by hand so that the remaining peaches are spaced about every 8 inches. Fruit thinning will allow the remaining fruits to develop optimum size, shape, and color, and prevent depletion of the tree.

Fertilizer

Apply 1/2 pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer or its equivalent 7 to 10 days after planting and the same amount again 40 days after planting. Broadcast the fertilizer evenly, 8 to 12 inches away from the trunk. In the second and third years after planting, the tree should receive 3/4 pound of 10-10-10 in March and again in May. Mature peach trees (4 to 10 years of age) should receive 1 to 2 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer each in March and May. If the tree is vigorous and there are no fruit expected, only the March application is necessary. Broadcast the fertilizer around the outer edge of the tree keeping the trunk area free of fertilizer.

Peach trees need to grow 18 inches of new growth each year. Remove the sod from under the tree, mulch and/or irrigate as needed. Irrigation will increase yield particularly if it is applied three weeks before harvest.

Common Skin Diseases in Goats

Skin diseases in goats can be classified into four general categories: fungal, parasitic, viral, and bacterial.

Fungal Diseases

Ringworm is the most recognized fungal disease in goats. It is not a worm, but rather a fungus which usually appears during prolonged periods of very wet weather, often when it is difficult to keep the pens clean and therefore less likely to harbor disease-causing organisms.

Ringworm can be located almost anywhere on the goat's body; its appearance is that of a rounded patch of hair surrounded completely by a hairless ring. Left untreated, it gets bigger and bigger. Ringworm is contagious both to goats and to humans.

Treatment involves donning disposable gloves and thoroughly washing the area with a topical skin disinfectant like Betadine Surgical Scrub. Wipe the cleansed skin surface dry and apply 1% Clotrimazole Cream to the affected area. Repeat this treatment daily for at least two weeks and possibly longer, until the ringworm is gone. While ringworm usually doesn't bother the goat, it can take up to a month to cure.

An even better treatment for many fungal diseases involves the use of 97.8% lime sulphur concentrate diluted and applied in dip form to the goat's body. This product must be obtained from a vet.

Parasitic Diseases

Ticks and Mange (mites) are difficult to eradicate, requiring topical treatment with the appropriate approved external insecticide every two to three weeks until evidence of infection is gone.

Lice infestation is not uncommon in goats. Oftentimes only one or two animals have them. If a goat has a scruffy goat and has been recently de-wormed, it is a good bet that lice are the problem. There are two types of lice, biting and blood-sucking, and microscopic examination is necessary to determine which kind is present on the goat. Treatment, however, is similar, so assume it is the blood-sucking kind that will cause anemia if left uncontrolled and treat immediately with Synergized De-Lice or similar product topically. Young kids and pregnant/lactating does should be topically treated with 5% Sevin Dust or Diatomaceous Earth (DE), taking care to keep the dust out of body orifices like eyes, ears, and nostrils. For does that are being milked, choose one of several products on the market that has no or very short withdrawal time.

Keds is a wingless blood-sucking fly that burrows into the skin of the goat. Insecticides used for louse control are also effective against Keds.

Screw Worms are fly maggots that are deposited into body openings or wounds. Usage of fly repellents and insecticides cut down on the likelihood of screw worm infestation. A screw worm deposit should be cleaned out with a mild solution of pine oil or similar product and a topical antibiotic like Triple Antibiotic Cream applied until the infected area is healed. Then a fly repellant should be used. Jeffers carries aerosol screw worm control products.

Warbles is a condition caused by the burrowing of the heel fly into the skin. I have an article on how to treat Warbles on the Articles page at www.tennesseemeatgoats.com and in the Archives section of MeatGoatMania. Warbles are not a common condition in goats.

Viral Diseases

Soremouth (contagious ecthyma) is a common viral disease afflicting goats. In most cases, it is not debilitating. However, the appearance of soremouth in a herd when young kids are nursing can be disastrous. Soremouth (sometimes called Orf) affects mucous membranes such as lips and teats, making nursing difficult and sometimes causing the dam to reject her kids because nursing is painful to her.

In such situations, the death of kids can occur if the producer does not get involved.

Blisters appear, usually on the goat's lips, and when they scab over and ultimately drop off, the ground becomes infected. Some goats may be carriers of the disease. The good news is that once a goat has had soremouth, it will not likely catch the disease again. The bad news is that once a producer's property is infected with Soremouth, it is there forever.

Treat Soremouth with topical application of Gentian Violet, an old-time remedy that is both cheap and effective. It is usually kept behind the pharmacy counter. Wear disposable gloves, since Soremouth is zoonotic (contagious to humans) and Gentian Violet stains purple. Some producers use Tea Tree Oil, WD-40, CamphoPhenique, and a variety of improvised products to dry up the blisters so that they scab over and the goat can eat without discomfort again.

A live virus vaccine exists to prevent Soremouth. The downside is that if a herd doesn't already have Soremouth, the vaccine will introduce it to them. Producers will have to decide for themselves whether they wish to vaccinate against Soremouth. This writer chooses not to do so.

Caprine Herpesvirus is occasionally seen in goats and generally has to run its course. Be aware that this virus, if present in pregnant does, is likely to cause abortions. In these cases, high fever accompanies the Herpesvirus infection. There is a genital form that is believed to be venereal and bucks do not have to show obvious signs of infection in order to spread Herpesvirus. Oddly enough, neither the goats' ability to reproduce nor their conception rates are negatively affected by this disease.

Bacterial Diseases

Staphylococci bacteria often invade skin lesions on goats. Infection can be generalized over large areas of the goat's body or localized in the form of pustules on a doe's udder. Generalized infections should be treated with long-lasting Benzathine Penicillin (five cc's per one hundred pounds of body weight for five consecutive days), in combination with cleansing the affected area thoroughly with chlorhexidine shampoo or Betadine Surgical Scrub. Then apply an antibiotic cream topically. The use of injectible steroids is sometimes applicable in treating Staph infections. For localized infections such as the surface of the udder, the antibiotic treatment can be eliminated and the cleansing/antiobiotic cream regimen can be solely used.

Summary and Conclusion

The hardest diseases to diagnose properly are skin diseases. If you mis-diagnose and treat a fungal infection with steroids, you will make it worse. The producer should get a vet to take skin plugs, put them under a microscope, and diagnose the problem accurately before treatment is begun. This can save a lot of time and end the goat's suffering more quickly.

This article is by no means a complete list of all the skin diseases which can affect goats. It is intended to provide producers with an overview of the most commonly seen caprine skin diseases.

Suzanne W. Gasparotto

ONION CREEK RANCH

Original Post Here

Starting a rabbit enterprise

Listed below are concerns that persons should take in consideration when considering whether to start a commercial rabbitry enterprise. Due to similarities in the methods of production with those of caged laying hens, the responsibility for assisting new rabbit producers has traditionally resided with the Extension Poultry Department in most states.

 Advantages

• Supplemental Income-- Excellent enterprise to provide extra income in spare time.
• Small Land Requirement-- A substantial rabbitry can be operated on less than one acre of land.
• Labor-- Less physically demanding than many other agricultural enterprises.
• Earthworms-- Additional income is often earned by producing and selling earthworms.

Disadvantages

• High Initial Investment -- (Building, cages, equipment, and breeding stock.)
• Investment can be reduced somewhat if a presently existing building can be adapted for rabbit housing.
• Since the rabbit industry is not as developed as most other agricultural enterprises, it is considered a high-risk investment. The markets are not as secure and may not be available when market time approaches. This can be overcome if the producer develops a clientele group to purchase his rabbit products.
• Management problems invariably plague the beginner rabbit producer.
• Maximum production is seldom achieved during the first few years.
• Rabbit production is an everyday enterprise with few days off.
• Low margins do not often allow for the hiring of temporary labor during this time.

Raising rabbits is not suited for everyone. To be successful, the producer must be able to give careful attention to small details. Record keeping is a primary requirement and duty.

Rabbit production at the present time is not an enterprise that the producer can rely upon initially as a full-time occupation.

Prior to investing in facilities, equipment, and breeding stock, determine where the market is and how many rabbits the market can support.

It is recommend that anyone interested in raising rabbits for the first time get into the business slowly, perhaps with 10 to 20 breeding does. If, after learning how to manage the business, you see that you want to pursue it further, you can do so at a rate to suit your financial resources. If on the other hand, you find that you are not suited for the rabbit business, you can sell equipment and stock with little or no financial loss.

Remember, keep both good financial and production records or you will not know if you are making progress and a profit or whether you are losing money.

Original Post Here

At last, jaggery turns sweet for the producers

Jaggery has not always tasted sweet for its producers. But this time, they are happy and are smiling as jaggery prices are shooting up in the “Bellada santhe” of Chamarajanagar and Mysore districts.

Incessant rain in the jaggery producing areas of Tamil Nadu had brought down production there and increased the demand in local markets. With the fixing of low minimum support price for sugarcane crop, farmers in Chamarajanagar district have cultivated the crop on over 30,000 acres.

The recent ‘Jal' cyclone had damaged the crop and farmers faced inconvenience in cutting the sugarcane stalk and transporting it to the ‘aalemane' (jaggery production units). Bagasse, which is left out after crushing sugarcane, is used as fuel for boiling the juice in jaggery making units. But it does not burn effectively when it gets wet due to rains. This forced the jaggery producers to use old tyres of buses and lorries as an alternative fuel source for boiling sugarcane juice. A minimum of two quintals of jaggery can be produced by utilising one bus/lorry tyre as a fuel at a cost of Rs.400. However, jaggery producers have lost their interest in producing it. Labour problem was also one of the reasons for lower production of jaggery during December, when farmers are engaged in harvesting paddy, groundnut and other crops. 

Because of all these factors, the demand for jaggery is shooting up and the product has been fetching a good price in the APMC market.

Jaggery production does not required special skills or giant equipment, it is very easy to produce at the small scale level. First the sugarcane is crushed in crushers to get sugarcane juice. Then the juice is boiled in a pan. For heat economy, an efficient furnace is constructed on the ground. Three to four boiling pans are arranged in a line and fuel passes under all the four pans one after another. The smoke escapes through a chimney. During the boiling, all impurities come to the surface which are removed by scumming. While boiling, the sugarcane juice gets concentrated and after evaporating almost all the water, a pasty crystalline yellow substance is left in the boiling pan which becomes solid after cooling. This is jaggery.

Jaggery is called ‘gur in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh; ‘hakuru ‘in Sri Lanka, ‘panelap' in Spanish South America and ‘Rapadura' in Brazil. It is available in colours ranging from golden brown to dark brown.

Demand growing

Jaggery plays an important role in the rural economy. Compared to the manufacture of sugar, production of jaggery is very simple and the capital cost is also very limited. The demand for jaggery is steadily growing in the urban, rural and semi-urban areas. Jaggery production is a seasonal activity and the plants generally run from October to March-April. Jaggery manufacturing is done on a small scale by a group of farmers.

The procurement price is reckoned to be less than the production cost. As against the farmers demand for Rs.2,100 to Rs.2,500 a tonne of sugarcane, the procurement price offered by sugar mills in the region is between Rs.1,800 and Rs.2,000 a tonne. However, the cost of production of one tonne of sugarcane is around Rs.1,600. It was pointed out that from one tonne of sugarcane, 120 kg of jaggery could be produced. The cost of producing one tonne of sugarcane is Rs.1,600. If farmers switch over to jaggery production, they will incur an additional expenditure of Rs.600 for converting one tonne of sugarcane which yields one quintal of jaggery. Nowdays, the price of one quintal of jaggery is between Rs.3,000 and Rs.4,000. So, farmers will earn a net profit by switching over to jaggery production instead of suffering a loss by selling sugarcane to mills which offer only Rs.1,800 a tonne.

This was in contrast to the situation last year when many jaggery producing units closed down owing to losses. The jaggery producers says that a majority of farmers will shift to jaggery production if it is proved that they can cut losses and earn a profit of Rs.600 to Rs.1,000 a tonne of sugarcane. Those who are involved in the jaggery business in Chamarajanagar are now making profits. The rise in the prices of jaggery blocks and profit in business have forced several ‘aalemane' owners to start it once again. Around 100 kg of jaggery can be produced from one tonne of sugarcane. The cost of sugar cane is Rs. 1,650 per tonne and tractor charges come to Rs. 250. Apart from these, Rs. 500 should be spent for coconut oiland other materials. Five people are needed for producing one quintal of jaggery and each should be paid Rs. 200 per day. Add to these the electricity charges for using cane crushing machine and generator. There are sugarcane growers who also own ‘aalemane' and there are also some who buy sugarcane and produce jaggery. . There are more than 50 ‘aalemane' in Haradanahalli and surrounding areas in Chamarajanagar taluk which produce around six quintals of jaggery every day and they are transported to various places in the State.

Good response

The jaggery auction at Terakanambi, Begur, Santhemarahalli shandies and at the APMC market in Chamarajanagar now end before afternoon. Earlier, the auction used to run up to evening. The Chamarajanagar unit of APMC has received 1.50-2.50 lakh jaggery blocks. Meanwhile, jaggery merchants from Jamakhandi, Nyamathi, Mahalingapura, Hubli-Dharwad, and Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh were absent at the jaggery auction at the APMC market here.

According to sources, there are more than 300 ‘aalemane' in Chamarajanagar district. The rise in prices has motivated the producers to produce more jaggery. Even the sugarcane farmers do not mind violating the agreement made earlier with the sugar factories to give their crops. Now they are willing to give the crops to jaggery producers expecting more price per tonne of sugarcane.

The jaggery auction started at APMC yard in Chamarajanagar in 1961. The secretary of APMC, Srikantaiah, has said the jaggery was sold for Rs.4,200 per quintal in last two weeks. He said this price was a record shoot-up after APMC started its functioning here. Broker Nagasundar said he never got a price of 

Rs.4,200 per quintal in the last 25 years of his business. The farmers are happy with the bumper price in Chamarajanagar APMC market.

V. Paneesha

The Hindu

High Risk Strain of Bird Flu Surfaces in Japan

The Japanese government confirmed the country’s first outbreak of a high-risk bird flu in three years, though it stressed that there was no evidence the disease had spread beyond chickens. 

The report came two weeks after Hong Kong reported the first human case there since 2003.

The announcement from Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries came after a farm in rural western Shimane prefecture found five chickens dead in one place in its poultry house last Saturday, and a few more in the same spot on Monday morning. That caused the poultry farmer to suspect the industry-threatening bird flu and called a local heath office.

Since a quick test was positive on Monday, 21,500 chickens on the farm have been slaughtered and four farms nearby–located within a 10-kilometer radius of the infected farm–had been ordered not to ship eggs and poultry meat as a precaution.

Friday’s test identified the virus taken from the dead chickens as the H5N1 strain of avian influenza.

Multiple strains of flu virus from birds can be transmitted to humans. Infection from most forms leads only to mild symptoms in humans, but illness from the H5N1 strain can be deadly.

Outbreaks of H5N1 infection in birds have been rare. Those that began in Southeast Asia in 2003 were the most widespread and severe, according to the World Health Organization, which monitors cases of avian flu.

Nine Asian countries, including Japan, have reported previous H5N1 outbreaks. In Japan, the outbreaks were considered controlled and the country was considered free of disease, according to WHO.

While the bird flu scare has receded, the strain has never fully disappeared since the big outbreak seven years ago. Globally, some 40 human cases, including 20 deaths, have been confirmed by WHO this year. In 2009, there were 73 confirmed cases and 32 deaths.

On Nov. 17, a case of human infection was confirmed in Hong Kong, its first in seven years. In October, two human cases were reported in Indonesia.

It is “not unusual to see sporadic human cases” in regions where there are occasional outbreaks in poultry, said Aphaluck Bhatiasevi, a WHO spokeswoman, about the recent cases. Outbreaks can occur any time of the year, she said.

Japan was hit with the H5N1 strain of avian flu in 2004 for the first time in 79 years, and then again in 2007. Officials slaughtered 410,000 chickens and 170,000 chickens after each incident in western Japan. (Less virulent avian flu variations were detected in Japan in 2005 and 2009.)

In a sign officials think they have contained the spread this time, this week’s ban on egg shipments was lifted Friday as the flu tests on the birds in the nearby farms were negative. Restrictions on transporting poultry will remain until the safety of the area is confirmed by further testing on all the birds in the nearby farms for three weeks after the disinfection process is complete.

The agriculture ministry said in a statement that avian flu is a disease affecting birds and that even if humans consume infected meat and eggs, they would not be affected.

How the Shimane birds were infected is still under investigation, but it’s possible an infected wild bird entered the poultry house through some enlarged holes in the bird prevention net, said Ryuji Kawakami, a Shimane prefecture official.

“It’s really regrettable that this happens here, given that we make a routine check up on the sanitation of chicken houses diligently every month. This is one of the diseases that chicken farmers are most afraid of,” said Mr. Kawakami.

Dow Jones Newswires

Germany Bans Cultivation of GM Corn

Germany has banned the cultivation of GM corn, claiming that MON 810 is dangerous for the environment. But that argument might not stand up in court and Berlin could face fines totalling millions of euros if American multinational Monsanto decides to challenge the prohibition on its seed.

The sowing season may be just around the corner, but this year German farmers will not be planting gentically modified crops: German Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner announced Tuesday she was banning the cultivation of GM corn in Germany.

Under the new regulations, the cultivation of MON 810, a GM corn produced by the American biotech giant Monsanto, will be prohibited in Germany, as will the sale of its seed. Aigner told reporters Tuesday she had legitimate reasons to believe that MON 810 posed “a danger to the environment,” a position which she said the Environment Ministry also supported. In taking the step, Aigner is taking advantage of a clause in EU law which allows individual countries to impose such bans.

“Contrary to assertions stating otherwise, my decision is not politically motivated,” Aigner said, referring to reports that she had come under pressure to impose a ban from within her party, the conservative Bavaria-based Christian Social Union. She stressed that the ban should be understood as an “individual case” and not as a statement of principle regarding future policy relating to genetic engineering.

Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) both welcomed the ban. Greenpeace’s genetic engineering expert, Stephanie Töwe, said the decision was long overdue, explaining that numerous scientific studies demonstrated that GM corn was a danger to the environment.

However the ban could prove costly for the German government. Experts in Aigner’s ministry recently told SPIEGEL that it will be hard to prove conclusively that MON 810 damages the environment, which could enable Monsanto to win a court case opposing the ban and potentially expose the government to €6-7 million ($7.9-9.2 million) in damages.

Monsanto said Tuesday that it would look into the question of whether it would take legal proceedings as quickly as possible. Andreas Thierfelder, spokesman for Monsanto Germany, said the matter was very urgent as the planting season was just about to start.

Aigner has recently come under pressure from Bavaria to ban GM corn. Bavaria’s Environment Minister Markus Söder wants to turn Germany into a “GM food-free zone.” Environmental groups have long called for a ban on GM crops in Germany, arguing that they pose a danger to plants and animals.

However, supporters of genetic engineering argue that a ban could prompt research companies and institutes to pull up stakes and leave Germany. Wolfgang Herrmann, president of Munich’s Technical University, has said that a prohibition risks precipitating “an exodus of researchers.”

The issue has exposed a split between Bavaria’s CSU and its larger sister party, Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union. Katherina Reiche, deputy chairwoman of the CDU/CSU’s parliamentary group, has complained of the “CSU’s irresponsible, cheap propaganda,” claiming that it could harm German industry. She argued that anti-GM sentiment was one reason a subsidiary of the German chemical giant Bayer decided to moved its facilities for genetic engineering from Potsdam, near Berlin, to Belgium.

MON 810 was approved for cultivation in Europe by the European Union in 1998 and is currently the only GM crop which can be grown in Germany. The plant produces a toxin to fight off a certain pest, the voracious larvae of the corn borer moth. The crop was due to be planted this year on a total area of around 3,600 hectares (8,896 acres) in Germany. The cultivation of MON 810 is already banned in five other EU member states, namely Austria, Hungary, Greece, France and Luxembourg.

Original Post Here