The European Commission and Malaysia today called for compensation for poultry farmers affected by bird flu, saying it was a vital part of preventing the spread of the deadly virus.

The head of the European Commission delegation to Malaysia, Thierry Rommel, said compensation was needed to deter farmers from concealing outbreaks of the virus, to try to prevent culls of their affected birds.

"When you look at the large number of small farmers in Vietnam and Indonesia, maybe in China, there is a need for compensation if you want them not to obstruct massive culling whenever culling is necessary," Rommel told reporters.

Malaysia's agriculture minister Muhyiddin Yassin said there was concern that poorer countries were unable to take part in regional efforts to prevent outbreaks of avian influenza.

"If there is no provision for compensation, if there are no funds being made available to farmers to allow the chickens to be culled, the possibility (is that) there is no information coming out and by the time we know it, it will be too late and the damage has been done," Muhyiddin said at a livestock forum.

Conference to raise funds

Rommel said the European Commission, the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Organisation for Animal Healthare planning an international conference on the virus later this year, possibly in Asia.

The organisations will also use the conference to raise funds for programmes like restructuring farming sectors in affected nations, education programmes and culling programmes, as well as compensation.

As well as seeking donations, he said the conference may also create funding mechanisms to quickly channel aid to bird flu-hit nations, and provide loans to pay for strategies to curb the spread of the virus.

Rommel and Muhyiddin warned of the risks of failing to put enough resources into poorer countries to help them fight the virus.

Concern over bird flu "has to be translated into a very concrete form of action, not just words. Resources, both finance and manpower and expertise are required to be mobilised to handle the situation," said Muhyiddin.

"If this outbreak happens, there will be billions of dollars of livestock that will have to be culled, which means losses to the industry and more importantly, loss of lives," he said.

Bird flu has claimed 65 lives so far, in Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.