Beijing subsidizes large-scale breeding farms affected by H7N9 with 10 yuan per breeding bird

Since April, H7N9 has broken out in multiple cities across the country, and as the number of confirmed cases continues to rise, the breeding bird industry has inevitably been "infected" as well.

Taking Beijing as an example, eggs produced citywide normally sell for more than 11.2 yuan/kg, with an average daily market supply of 411 tonnes. Currently, sales in the mid-to-high-end market have dropped by about 40%.

In March, an average of 35,000 meat pigeons were brought to market daily; affected by avian influenza, the vast majority have not been brought to market.

Faced with the impact of avian influenza on the breeding bird industry, Beijing's agricultural authorities issued a subsidy policy yesterday to help enterprises maintain production.

The Beijing News - In response to the impact on the poultry industry from H7N9 avian influenza prevention and control, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Agriculture issued a financial subsidy policy yesterday: 10 yuan per adult breeding bird, 3 yuan per adult laying hen in stock, and subsidy schemes for specialized free-range poultry households are to be studied and formulated independently by each district and county.

Based on stock numbers at the end of March

For breeding bird farms citywide that have obtained a "Breeding Livestock and Poultry Production and Operation License", the agricultural authorities will provide production-maintenance subsidies for a period of 1 month (April 13 - May 13), at a standard of 10 yuan per adult breeding bird. The number of subsidized breeding birds shall be based on the number of adult breeding birds in stock at breeding bird farms citywide at the end of March.

Registered and filed large-scale laying hen farms citywide will receive a one-time subsidy of 3 yuan per adult laying hen in stock; meat pigeon farms will receive a one-time subsidy at a standard of 2 yuan per meat pigeon in stock. The numbers shall be based on registered stock numbers at the end of March.

The subsidy policy also stipulates that, based on district and county stock numbers, specialized free-range poultry households will receive a one-time hardship subsidy, with the subsidy scheme to be formulated independently by each district and county.

Zhao Genwu, director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Agriculture, said that Beijing encourages large-scale farming, and the subsidy standard for free-range poultry will certainly be lower than the standard for large-scale farmed poultry.

In addition, designated meat poultry slaughter enterprises citywide shall purchase farmed meat poultry in accordance with contract farming purchase agreements, and provide a fixed subsidy for storage costs for poultry meat products whose sales have been blocked by the impact of H7N9 avian influenza and which need to be stored. The subsidy standard is 700 yuan per tonne, for a period of 1 month (April 13 - May 13).

Serious handling for false reporting of numbers

Liu Yaqing, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Agriculture, stated that subsidy applications shall be made on a farm-by-farm basis, with each farm applying to the agricultural bureau of the district or county where it is located and submitting the corresponding numbers; the district and county agricultural authorities shall then be reviewed by the municipal agricultural and financial authorities. Each district and county shall publicly announce the intended subsidy recipients and set up a reporting hotline, with a public announcement period of 7 days.

Liu Yaqing told the heads of the agricultural authorities of each district and county that the data on subsidy recipients must be ensured to be true and valid. The municipal agricultural and financial authorities will review the above data from the districts and counties, and any false reporting, duplicate reporting or similar conduct will be dealt with seriously once discovered. At the same time, fund management shall be strengthened, subsidy funds shall be used exclusively for their designated purpose, and no unit or individual may fraudulently obtain, misappropriate, intercept or divert them.