The poultry sector still does not know the cost of the first 4 million doses against bird flu that Macuna-Avimex will provide

Following the announcement by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) about the importation of 4 million doses of vaccines to inoculate, in a first phase, around 2 million birds against avian flu, the poultry sector hopes that the authorized company , Macuna-Avimex, a Mexican-Ecuadorian business alliance, report the values ​​of the vaccines.

And it is that the poultry sector will be in charge of financing the immunization of birds, Minister Bernardo Manzano reported on Wednesday. A day later, the sector is unaware of the values ​​that must be paid for the first doses, said Marisol Molina, executive director of the Union of Egg Producers (Uniproh), a union that is part of the Technical Subcommittee of the National Poultry Commission, in charge of coordinate actions against bird flu in the country, whose first outbreak was reported on November 29.

Funded by the private sector, vaccination of more than 2 million birds against avian influenza will begin in April

The Subcommittee also includes representatives of the National Poultry Farmers Corporation (Conave), Cotaló Poultry Farmers Association (Asavico), Ecuadorian Veterinary Doctors Association (Amevea-E), Central University, San Francisco de Quito University, Livestock Production Undersecretary of the MAG and the Phytosanitary Regulation and Control Agency (Agrocalidad).

“The first step managed by Agrocalidad and the Technical Subcommittee was to convene national and/or international companies that can provide the vaccine according to the country’s specific requirements. They have defined that it is the Avimex vaccine, of Mexican origin, that will initially enter. Now the company that brings this vaccine must report the number of doses it can provide and the values,” Molina told this newspaper.

When asked about the budget projected by the sector to finance vaccines, the Uniproh executive indicated, without disclosing values, that “whatever needs to be done will be done to save production.”

In addition to the Macuna-Avimex alliance, three other companies await validation to also supply the drug. These are Boehringer Ingelheim (Germany), Zoetis (United States) and Rebexa (Puerto Rico).

Meanwhile, regarding the current situation of the sector, Molina revealed that to date more than 1,000,000 birds have been slaughtered, which means a decrease in production of 7%, this corresponds to an economic loss of more than $8 ´000,000 for intervened farms; and a loss of approximately 200 direct jobs.

According to official figures, the poultry industry produces 263 million chickens that represent 495,000 tons of meat; produces 4,600 million table eggs; and in terms of consumption of animal protein, an Ecuadorian inhabitant consumes 27.31 kilos per capita per year of poultry meat and 212 eggs per capita per year.

Chicken meat production rose 3% in 2022, but 2023 begins with losses of $8 million due to avian flu

However, so that the sector’s losses do not increase until next April, when it is planned to start vaccinating the birds, Molina indicated that work is underway to reinforce biosecurity measures on farms, such as limiting the entry of people to the extreme. or vehicles to poultry. In addition, a space separated from the production plants was defined to remove the product for sale and the installation of anti-bird meshes, among other measures adopted.

Meanwhile, regarding the number of vaccines that the sector will need after the first 4 million doses that will arrive for phase 1 of the inoculation, the Uniproh executive pointed out that after that the supply of vaccines will depend on the doses suggested by the house commercial or commercial houses that continue to register and approve for the provision.

“The urgent thing is to vaccinate the farms of the focus and perifocus identified in the country. Then in a second phase, when there is a sufficient supply of vaccines, vaccination of poultry throughout the country will begin, as reported by the Technical Subcommittee,” revealed Molina, who assured that in addition to vaccination, the sector insists the Government to determine a long-term financial product with flexibility to reactivate production and poultry insurance that allows precautionary production.

“We have been dealing with that from the very moment the news of the presence of avian influenza was given, they informed that these days they already have the firm proposal,” said Molina. (YO)