Bird flu costs over EUR 9.8m in Hungary

Budapest, January 9 (MTI) – Direct costs incurred in connection with the bird flu epidemic affecting several areas in Hungary have by now amounted to over 3 billion forints (EUR 9.8m), business daily Világgazdaság reported on Monday, citing information from the farm ministry.

According to the ministry, farmers whose poultry were culled to prevent further spread of the deadly virus have received 2.7 billion forints in compensation, and negotiations are under way to pay compensation to other farms affected by the epidemic.

Poultry producer Master Good chief László Bárány told the paper that the poultry sector had suffered damages of a total 6.5 billion forints including the indirect impacts. He compared the epidemic in the central parts of eastern Hungary to an “obliteration bombing” and insisted that the sector could not cope without government and European Union assistance.

Source: MTI