Regent appeals for all clear in Tangerang<\/p>\n
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang<\/p>\n
The regent of Tangerang urged the central government on Wednesday
\nto revoke the bird flu 'red zone' status in the regency,
\ninsisting that there was no bird flu epidemic in the area.<\/p>\n
\"There is no avian influenza (in Tangerang). We have monitored
\nall poultry farms here, but found no indication of bird flu. It
\nis business as usual at poultry farms and workers don't even use
\ngloves and masks to protect themselves,\" regent Ismet Iskandar
\nsaid on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
He said the central government's declaration that Tangerang
\nwas a red zone for bird flu had had a bad impact on poultry
\nbreeders and chicken meat traders at markets, with their sales
\ndropping by 50 percent.<\/p>\n
\"I accompanied Trade and Industry Minister Marie Elka Pangestu
\nvisiting a market at Bumi Serpong Damai city this morning and she
\nherself saw traders who could not sell their wares because people
\nwere scared of eating chicken,\" Ismet said in a meeting with 100
\npoultry breeders.<\/p>\n
\"What a pity. Chicken meat traders and poultry breeders are
\nnow confused and angry. Some people are even scared of coming to
\nTangerang due to bird flu issues. Therefore, I ask the central
\ngovernment to immediately revoke the red zone status,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The central government declared Tangerang a red zone for bird
\nflu following the deaths of Iwan Siswara, an official at the
\nSupreme Audit Agency (BPK), and his two young daughters, early
\nthis month.<\/p>\n
The government had also culled poultry and pigs in the regency
\nin order to stem the spread of the virus.<\/p>\n
Abdul Syukur, a poultry breeder from Muk district, said that
\nhe employed 100 workers at his poultry farm and none of them used
\ngloves and masks at work.<\/p>\n
\"If there was bird flu in Tangerang, my workers would have
\nbeen infected by the virus, but they are safe and work as usual,\"
\nhe said, adding that he had no idea what to do with his workers
\nnow that sales had dropped by 50 percent.<\/p>\n
Edi Wahyudi, secretary general of National Poultry Producer
\nMarketing Information Center (Pinsar), said that should the
\ncentral government not revoke the red zone status, it would be
\njust a matter of time before the poultry breeding business died
\nout in the regency.<\/p>\n
He said that market demand from Tangerang had dropped by 50
\npercent for chicken meat and eggs since the government declared
\nTangerang a red zone for bird flu.<\/p>\n
He said there were 100 poultry breeders employing 1,000
\nworkers in the regency. Tangerang delivers 70 tons of eggs and
\n100,000 chickens every day to fulfill the needs of the Jakarta
\nmarket.<\/p>\n
\"What will happen to the breeders and their workers if the
\nmeat and eggs they produce in Tangerang are not allowed to enter
\nthe Jakarta market?\" he asked.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/regent-appeals-for-all-clear-in-tangerang-1447893297",
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