Burmese livestock banned in Mizoram for bird flu
March 17, 2007: The authorities in Mizoram , India have banned entry of all Burmese live stock since last month through the Indo-Burma border after reports of an outbreak of bird fluid in the neigbouring country.
Lunglei, the second capital of Mizoram, imposed the ban earlier on chicken, pigs, cows and goats.
"It has been banned for a week. No animals can be exported from Burma (Myanmar). But the price of meat has not dropped and people are still eating chicken," a local said.
Lunglei District exports the most livestock. The district slaughters 20 to 30 cows a week.
The authorities in Mizoram have also banned exports of animals from Burma in the border town of Zokhawthar .
When the ban is in force there is no export of animals from Burma but it is smuggled into Mizoram through some places.
Last year too there was a ban. But the authorities lifted the ban later.
This time the ban will be on for two months and till now there is no official word about lifting it. But the ban is in force only in the two districts of Champhai and Lunglei.
