The Chinese government paid 100 million yuan (US$12.2 million) in 2004 and more than 200 million yuan (US$24.4 million) in 2005 to farmers for their losses in bird flu outbreaks.

The figures came from a Chinese government document distributed at the International Pledging Conference on Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza, which opened here Tuesday. The conference is cosponsored by China, the European Commission and the World Bank.

The document said subsidies are provided for poultry culling in bird flu epidemic areas. The Chinese government provides certain amount of compensation for losses of poultry raisers caused by mandatory culling. Since 2004, governments at various levels have compensated in full for the culling of poultry in accordance with the compensation standards.

(Xinhua News Agency January 17, 2006)