Two-Pronged Approach in the Poultry Industry Pushes Development to a New Level
Recently, cases of H7N9 influenza have appeared again in some provinces of China. Vice Minister of Agriculture and National Chief Veterinary Officer Yu Kangzhen said during a recent investigation of H7N9 influenza prevention and control work that animal husbandry and veterinary departments at all levels should adopt a two-pronged approach, proposing "prevention and control of disease on one hand, and industrial development on the other," in order to effectively guard against disease risks, advance the transformation and upgrading of the poultry industry, and promote the sustained and stable development of the poultry sector.
As winter sets in, H7N9 continues to appear in news reports across public media, which also means that H7N9 influenza cases will threaten people's health and safety. In response, animal husbandry departments must remain highly vigilant, devote themselves to H7N9 influenza prevention and control work in a scientific, orderly and efficient manner with a greater sense of urgency and more effective measures, and meet the challenges head-on.
"Prevention and control of disease on one hand, and industrial development on the other" are the two major themes for grasping the future development trends of the animal husbandry industry. We must take the initiative to understand the new normal of animal husbandry development, scientifically grasp the laws of animal husbandry development, earnestly prepare to respond to various risks and difficulties such as H7N9 influenza prevention and control, create favorable opportunities for accelerating the healthy development of the animal husbandry industry, and pave a broader path forward for the sustainable development of the animal husbandry industry in the future.
Prevention and control of disease on one hand means that animal husbandry and veterinary departments should, in conjunction with the national H7N9 influenza eradication plan, strengthen supervision over the quality of animal products, actively organize and carry out screening and monitoring work, and intensify supervision and inspection of animal products in circulation markets, so as to ensure the stability of major animal epidemic situations in the country and the quality and safety of animal products. In livestock and poultry farms, regular or irregular immunization should be carried out. In addition to general surveys and testing, animal husbandry and veterinary departments should also earnestly carry out emergency revaccination work and strengthen animal epidemic prevention supervision and inspection on temporary inter-provincial highways. At the same time, monitoring and screening of live poultry markets and poultry farms should be strengthened. Veterinary experts and backbone personnel should be actively organized to go into villages and households, going deep into farms, livestock and poultry wholesale markets, slaughterhouses and other locations to carry out supervision and inspection, ensure that healthy livestock and poultry and their products enter circulation markets, and strengthen supervision and inspection of animal products in circulation markets. Those without certificates should be subject to supplementary inspection; unqualified and unhealthy animals and their products should undergo harmless treatment; and situations in markets where people and poultry are housed together should be subject to separation inspection, so as to promptly eliminate sources of infection and hidden epidemic risks and effectively guard against disease risks.
Industrial development on one hand means that animal husbandry and veterinary departments should at all times pay attention to the impact of influenza epidemic information on the poultry industry and the consumption of poultry products, strengthen technical guidance and services, and establish a technical support system for developing animal husbandry poultry farming and poultry products. At the same time, policies should be formulated to attract capable enterprises, private capital and farmers to vigorously develop animal husbandry poultry farming. Various business methods should be encouraged to develop animal husbandry poultry farming. Support should be given to animal product processing enterprises, sales enterprises, scientific research units and others to invest in the development and construction of the animal husbandry industry and the field of pollution-free food processing and sales, forming relationships of shared benefits and shared risks with animal husbandry poultry farming bases and farmers. Preferential policies in areas such as finance, taxation and credit should be adopted to support a number of outstanding leading enterprises in accelerating their development, advance the transformation and upgrading of the poultry industry, and promote the sustained and stable development of the poultry sector.
Only in this way can the "two-pronged approach" boost the transformation and upgrading of the poultry industry and take it to a new level.