Baku, Azerbaijan, May 10
Trend:
Iran has almost reached self-sufficiency in terms of producing livestock vaccine, the Iran Veterinary Organization Chief Alireza Rafiepour said.
Home-made livestock vaccines meet over 95 percent of the country's demand, Rafiepour said, according to a message published on the agriculture ministry’s website.
The domestic production is equal to 60 percent of needed poultry vaccines, he said.
The official further said that In the past two years, Iran has experienced a 18 percent drop in the incidence of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, tuberculosis, rabies, anthrax and brucellosis.
Commenting on the current situation of bird flu outbreak in Iran, Rafiepour said that the it is under control.
As many as 25 million chickens were killed in Iran in last fiscal year, ended March 20, to prevent the spread of the bird flu, he said.
In the preceding year over 12 million chickens were killed in the country as part of efforts to control the outbreak, he added.
The official noted that 15 provinces in Iran witnessed the outbreak of bird flu.
Earlier in January Ebrahim Hassannejad, the deputy head at the Agricultural Crops Insurance Fund, said that some 100 million egg-laying hens have been infected with the deadly avian flu in Iran and $27.75 million have been paid to chicken farmers over their losses.
Plans have been made to pay a further $18 million in compensation to chicken farmers, he added.