Farmers Protest Ban on Poultry Shipment to Bali

BANYUWANGI (SINDO) – Poultry farmers in Banyuwangi protested the policy on poultry shipment ban from Java to Bali issued by the provincial government of Bali and local district governments such as Jembrana.
This ban was issued as a result of bird flu outbreaks occurring in Banyuwangi since last year and also in Bali. Farmers consider this policy as unfair because it turns out that poultry from Bali are still allowed to enter Java.
Despite the fact that Banyuwangi and Bali are both bird flu endemic areas. Through investigation, permission of poultry entry to Java from Bali is based on a recommendation issued by the Livestock Services Office of East Java.

This was revealed yesterday in a hearing between the D Commission of the Local House of Representatives and the Banyuwangi Poultry Farmers Association (Persatuan Peternak Unggas Banyuwangi / PPUB), Livestock Services Office of Banyuwangi, Ketapang Animal Quarantine Agency, Economy Division of the district government, and the Industry, Commerce, Cooperative, and Investment Office.
Chief of PPUB, Safiuddin, insisted that decrees from the Bali Governor and East Java Governor on ban and restriction on poultry shipment, which has been issued, to be lifted immediately. “It will be better if both [Governor’s] decrees are lifted [cancelled]. Why is it now that poultry from Bali are allowed [to enter Java] and our poultry are not [allowed to enter Bali from Java]? The district government is not protecting animal husbandry in Banyuwangi,” he stated.
In response to the farmers urge, Head of the Livestock Services Office of Banyuwangi, Budianto, promised to address this issue. “We will coordinate it to the Provincial Livestock Services Office, the provincial government of East Java and Bali,” he said. (ishomuddin)