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FROM THE FIELD

Hadi's story: a poultry farm as a livelihood
10 Dec 2008 17:42:00 GMT
 Source: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) - Switzerland
British Red Cross in Indonesia

Website: Website: http://www.ifrc.org//tsunami

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Hadi's income depends on the health of the chickens delivered from the wholesaler in Medan, the main city in neighbouring North Sumatra province. (p18124)
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Hadi's income depends on the health of the chickens delivered from the wholesaler in Medan, the main city in neighbouring North Sumatra province. (p18124)
British Red Cross

Background

•  Disaster risk reduction

•  Indian Ocean tsunami

•  Earthquakes

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This is the second in a series of nine profiles/case studies, looking at how Red Cross Red Crescent has help people to rebuild their own lives after the tsunami in Indonesia.

At Hadi Marhento's poultry farm in Teunom village on the west coast of Aceh province, two customers climb into the chicken shed and choose a pair of birds. The women look on slightly squeamishly as the chickens are quickly slaughtered, plucked and chopped up ready for cooking.

The 37-year-old poultry seller says he's been busy in the past few days thanks to a local Muslim festival. He explains how he started the business after the tsunami, using the livelihood cash grant he received from the British Red Cross to buy chicks. He reared them for sale, but soon found it more profitable to buy older birds and offer a butchery service.

"I saw the market conditions were suitable - not so many people selling chickens yet - and so I carried on with this business using the capital I received from the Red Cross," Hadi says. "Then I got another 4 million rupiah (370 US$ , 285 euro), which I used to buy a machine for plucking chicken feathers. Since then, I have a good life."

Profit

Usually he sells around 300 chickens and 100 ducks a month, producing an average profit of around 4 million rupiah. He employs a young lad to help him with the business and would like to expand it when he has enough capital.

Hadi also received a house from the British Red Cross because his old home was destroyed by the tsunami. As with most beneficiaries in the area, the Red Cross helped him secure an official land title. But Hadi is wary of following the example of some others who have used their property as collateral for a loan from the bank.

"It seems a bit like gambling," says Hadi. "I am aware that I'd have to pay back money to the bank every month and that could be a problem if business doesn't go well."

Health

His income depends on the health of the chickens delivered from the wholesaler in Medan, the main city in neighbouring North Sumatra province. Another risk is avian flu, which has been circulating among Indonesian poultry since early 2004. The virus can be transmitted to people who come into contact with sick or dead birds. Up to July 2008, 111 people had died from infection in Indonesia, the highest death toll of any nation.

Thankfully Hadi's business hasn't been touched by the disease so far, but he's not taking any chances.

"The government told us we had to spray the premises otherwise they would cull the birds, so the vet comes once a week," he explains. "But I'm not too worried about bird flu because we haven't seen it in Teunom village."


[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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Topics

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Emergencies

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[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

Background information

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Indian Ocean tsunami - [Who works where]

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