Ban on import of eggs lifted for 3 months

GANGTOK, 30 Oct: With the demand of eggs remaining unmet as the festive and tourist season peaks, the AH&VS Department has, in what may be called a welcome decision, lifted the ban on import of eggs into the State. This lifting of the ban is only for a period of three months for now. As a result, egg prices have come down to Rs 5 apiece from the Rs 7-10 it was fetching in the local market when the ban was in place.
A notification dated 20 October 2012, the last working day before the Dasain holidays, announced that “in partial amendment of Notification No.1/AHLF&VS dated 22.04.2010 and in exercise of the powers conferred by the sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Sikkim (Livestock and Livestock Control) Act, 1985, the State government duly considering important festivals and tourist season is hereby pleased to lift the ban on import of eggs temporarily for a period of three months (01 October to 31 December, 2012).”
Significantly, the notification does not state that there is no longer any threat of bird flu.
At the same time it has also to be pointed out that while the ban had been initially imposed in April 2010 on the supposed threat of bird flu the notification lifting the ban temporarily does not mention bird flu at all.
It needs to be asked whether bird flu has taken a break due to important festivals and tourist season and will be back in 3 months time or was the ban on eggs and poultry for some other reasons? It also needs to be mentioned here that the lifting of the ban is only for eggs and not other poultry products, which itself again, is confusing.
Officials inform that the state government has lifted the ban keeping in view the interest of the local people who are, because of the short-fall of eggs, being deprived of protein availability in their everyday diet. Furthermore officials contend that lifting the ban would also facilitate sufficient supply of eggs in the market and cater to the huge and rising demand in Sikkim. This does not make much sense as people would, in all likelihood, still need proteins after 3 months and the huge demand for eggs was always there.  
The AH&VS, Secretary, DP Sharma, explains that through the next three months, the state government has desired that the department conduct a ground level survey of egg production, the requirement, the supply chain and in the process consider and develop a support mechanism for better economic generation initiatives for the local farmers.
“The department has already instructed the Additional Director, Poultry, who has written to the respective Joint Directors in all the four districts who are the district heads of the department to prepare and submit their viability reports along with the need for better marketing strategies for local produce within the stipulated time period,” informed the Secretary.
He adds that after the survey is completed, the department will reconsider its decision on the ban and formulate an action plan for enhancing production of locally produced eggs.
While speaking on the earlier ban on poultry import into the state, the officials informed that the consumers had expressed that there is sufficient poultry in the market because of which the department had not deemed it necessary to lift the ban.
Here too it needs to be pointed out that the ban on poultry, as per the notification of April 2010, was imposed due to threat of bird flu and not due to sufficiency in the market. Such a justification reeks of arbitrariness.
The government has imposed conditions for any person who wants to import eggs into the state which include a possession of a valid Trade License. Similarly, the trader shall pay all applicable taxes at all entry points. It is also required for a trader to produce a challan issued by the Firm, tax payment slip on demand by the authorized officials which is basically a No Objection Certificate.