The National Egg Co-ordination Committee (NECC), an apex body of the poultry industry in the country, on Tuesday expressed deep anguish over recent reports of fresh incidents of bird-flu in some backyard farms in Murshidabad district of West Bengal. When bird-flu occurred earlier this year in Jan, the state government had undertaken culling of all birds in the area and subsequently declared the completion of culling, as such, all the birds in this area are supposed to have been culled, NECC pointed out in a statement. For the past three years, poultry industry has been facing one crisis after another. After the first outbreak in 2006, the industry suffered a loss of Rs 11,000 crores due to fall in farm-gate prices and suspension of exports. Before the industry could revover from this set back, maize prices increased from Rs 500-525 per quintal to Rs 900 and in some places even to Rs 1,000 i.e almost 100 per cent increase over the previous year, mainly due to forward trading, exports and speculation by traders, NECC rued. More than 90 per cent of poultry farmers are small and marginal farmers, now on the verge of losing their livelihood. Such a blow would jeopardize not only the livelihood of 3.2 million people dependant on poultry, but also the 2.0 crore maize farmers and 4 million soya bean farmers, as poultry industry consumes more than 85 per cent of maize production and 50 per cent of soya meal production, NECC warned. The apex body has appealed to the government to consider the gravity of the crisis and extend the following package for relief and revival. Loan and interest waiver be extended to poultry farmers, at least for small and marginal ones having up to 50,000 birds. For others in the industry, interest subvention of 8 per cent may be provided to enable them to tide over the crisis. Forward trading in maize may be banned immediately, as it has lead to an almost 100 per cent increase in market prices because of speculation and hoarding. Export of maize and soya meal, may be channalized only through a designated government agency, and export by private parties may be prohibited. Out of the procurement of maize made by government agencies, a substantial quantity of maize may be allotted to poultry farmers at a reasonable price. State governments may be advised to provide electricity to poultry farms at a concessional tariff, at par with agricultural tariff, at least for a period of two years.