More than five months after bird flu hit Navapur taluka in Nandurbar, poultry farmers whose birds were culled are still waiting for a third of their compensation. The district’s total claim, sent in proposals in June, July, August and September, came to Rs 9.80 crore for birds, eggs, feed and operational expenses. The state has written to the Centre at least thrice since the end of May seeking the remaining funds, its animal husbandry secretary has told this newspaper.The outbreak, reported on April 30, led to the culling of 4,13,682 layer birds, the destruction of 24,91,723 eggs and the disposal of 5,48,958 kg of poultry feed. A September 9 communication from the District Deputy Commissioner of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Nandurbar, puts the district’s compensation claim at Rs 9,80,11,586. Soil and lime were dumped over the culling area of Tasleem Poultry Farm. (Express Photo: Purnima Sah)The first tranche of Rs 6.73 crore, half from the Centre and half from the state, was approved on September 1 and reached farmers’ bank accounts by the end of September. The rest is still pending, and the state Animal Husbandry Department has taken it up with the Centre in meetings.The fund shortage also led officials to call off the culling of nearly 10,000 backyard birds in villages around the affected farms. These birds hadn’t tested positive, but officials said the containment protocol required susceptible birds in the notified area to be culled. Their owners demanded to be paid on the spot before handing them over, and the department had no money to pay them.Dr Sanjay Kachane, Deputy Commissioner, Animal Husbandry and Dairy, Nandurbar, said, “By May we had completed culling of all birds, destroying eggs and feed, but we had to cancel the backyard culling as farmers and families were asking for compensation on the spot immediately at the time of culling, and because of that, the backyard culling could not be carried out as we did not have any funds in hand.” The first tranche of Rs 6.73 crore, half from the Centre and half from the state, was approved on September 1 and reached farmers’ bank accounts by the end of September.Waiting on the CentreCompensation is paid under the centrally sponsored Assistance to States for Control of Animal Diseases (ASCAD) scheme, with the Centre and the state each bearing half. State Commissioner of Animal Husbandry Dr Kiran Patil said the state couldn’t release its share until the Centre’s arrived, even if it had the money. “It will be sorted out in October,” he told The Indian Express.State Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries, Dr Ramaswami N, was less certain. He told this newspaper that the Centre issued an order on August 14 releasing Rs 3.3672 crore as its share, and Maharashtra released a matching amount, making Rs 6.7344 crore available. “There is no clarity yet on when the remaining funds will be released by the Government of India,” he said.Story continues below this adDr Ramaswami said the department couldn’t budget the full amount in advance. “Normally, we keep only a token provision for such components in the budget like Rs 1,000 because we cannot know in advance whether there will be a major outbreak or what the actual requirement will be. If there is a major outbreak, such as bird flu this year, we assess the actual requirement and place a demand before the Government of India,” he added.An industry repeatedly hit by bird fluNavapur is one of western India’s major egg-producing centres, supplying nearly 10 lakh eggs a day to Mumbai, Jalgaon, Nashik and Surat in Gujarat. It had more than 70 poultry farms at its peak. Around 38 remain.The 2006 outbreak saw around 10 lakh birds culled and 14 lakh eggs destroyed. In 2021, nearly nine lakh birds were culled and close to 60 lakh eggs destroyed. According to the Navapur Poultry Association, the area’s flock fell from around 18 lakh layer birds before that outbreak to around 12 lakh after it. Association president Arief Balesaria has said seven farms shut after 2021 because they could not recover, while some farmers sold their land, rented out sheds or turned them into godowns.Even full payment leaves them short, farmers claim. Under current norms, commercial poultry farmers get Rs 140 per adult layer bird, Rs 4 per egg destroyed and Rs 25 per kg of feed disposed of. Balesaria has said it costs around Rs 500 to raise a layer bird until it starts laying.Story continues below this adFarmers have sought higher compensation and payment at the time of culling. “We have slowly started to buy chicks and rebuild our business, it will take us another year to start a full-fledged business,” Balesaria said.