News:
July 2, 2015
The Chairman of the Food and Agriculture Committee of Parliament is pleading with the Finance Ministry to compensate poultry farmers affected by bird flu.
According to him, the agric ministry is broke and has no contingency funds to support poultry farmers who farms have been destroyed.
Over 33,000 birds have so far been destroyed after Bird flu was confirmed in the country a month ago.
The Chairman of the Committee on Thursday told the House that over eleven farms have so far been affected and has left a huge impact on the farmers, two of whom have lost at least ¢800,000.
Hon. Gabriel Essilfie stated that the Agric Ministry has not made any budgetary allocation to provide for the needs of the affected farmers and entreated the Finance Ministry to assist.
The Deputy Agric Minister responsible for Livestock Hanna Bissiw also confirmed that her Ministry is “broke” and cannot take care of any compensation to the affected farmers.
She told the House that when a case of bird flu is noticed on a farm, the farmer would, at least for six months, suspend activities on the firm until after painstaking examination has been done before he or she can resume business.
She further appealed for the rapid intervention of the Finance Ministry to support the affected farmers.
The MPs who were obviously concerned about the development quoted Standing Order 170 of Parliament which states that when the committee of Finance is satisfied there is an unforeseen expenditure for which there is no other provision; it shall authorize advances from the contingency funds to address the immediate needs.
However the Speaker of Parliament Edward Doe Adjaho instead referred the matter to the Committee of Food and Agriculture to study the situation and present a report on the financial implication of the virus to the House within a week.
GhanaMPs.gov.gh