Poultry import ban throws up another shocker – 4,000 seized eggs to be destroyed!

GANGTOK, 16 Oct: Should the government destroy 4,000 eggs just because it insists on continuing with an ill-advised ban on entry of poultry products into the State? There are three notifications issued by the central government including a press release by the Press Information Bureau, the latest having been issued in August 2012, that India is bird flu free. But the Animal Husbandry Department is adamant that bird flu exists and Sikkim needs to be protected against it with a ban. And on this basis [of a ban on entry of poultry products in the State] the authorities today confiscated 4,400 eggs brought into Sikkim by some traders on the grounds that a particular and arbitrary notification of the state suggests that only two government agencies exist that are capable of bringing “non bird flu affected” eggs into the state.
Today, the Sadar police, invoking the notification directing that no one else is authorized to bring in poultry products into Sikkim, raided two shops in Lall Bazaar and seized around 4,400 eggs and handed over the eggs to the Animal Husbandry Department. It is informed that the department will be destroying these eggs.
Ridiculously enough, a few days back eggs seized from Lall Bazaar and in all probability sourced from the same market in Siliguri were let go by the authorities on the grounds that they had been authorized by the department. When approached earlier with a query on where the Department had ‘authorized’ the last purchase from, it was admitted that these were lifted from the open market in Siliguri. However, now eggs from the same market purchased by a private entity become contraband! This is double standards.
What seems to be escaping the attention of the concerned officials is that the illogical ban is forcing a shortage which is spiking the price of eggs in local markets, at least in Gangtok. Where eggs cost Rs. 4 per piece at the most in Siliguri, in Gangtok, securing one for even Rs. 7 is difficult [due to limited supply].
The department of Animal Husbandry here continues to believe – and forces us to believe that the centre has not lifted the notice of bird flu. To put the record straight the central government has issued three notifications, dated 04 July 2011, 29 December, 2011 and the latest, 31 August, 2012 declaring India to be bird flu free.
When approached earlier this week, officials at the department, however, stated that the centre had not yet declared the country bird flu free; this was given as the reason behind the continuing ban on poultry products in Sikkim.
So while the state government continues on in its self-induced slumber the general public is getting a rude shock for its daily breakfast. The inflated prices pinch every time but the department continues with the arbitrary ban.
It is clear that Lall Bazaar, the major commercial hub in Gangtok, is failing to meet the demands of the day-to-day consumption of poultry products and in order to meet this growing demand, the local traders and hawkers require even more substantial and sustainable supply of eggs and poultry products in the market.
Statistics shared by traders suggests that Gangtok’s demand for eggs is approximately 200 crates or 6,000 eggs per day. This is for purely domestic consumption and the numbers will jump up susbstantially with tourist season.
With various major factors such as the tourist season and other small scale industries catering to the rising demand of poultry products in the state’s major market, the need for additional supply is a necessary and important requirement.
There are 25 traders doing business in poultry and eggs at Lall Bazaar.
As things stand, an additional 800 crates of eggs are required per week for Gangtok. The increase in supply shall guarantee that no inflation takes place and will also curb black-marketing to a huge extent.