News:
November 12, 2021
Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afiriyie Akoto on Thursday, November 11, 2021 told Parliament his Ministry has received an approval for an amount of forty-three million, nine hundred and eight four thousand, seventeen cedis and seventeen pesewas (43,984,017.17) to deal with bird flu disease in the country.
The minister explained that the fight against the bird flu has really been challenging due to limited budget and inadequate poultry professionals in his ministry.
He further noted that, the approval of 43.9 million Ghana Cedis is going to help the Ministry to recruit 1,100 veterinary service officers to help the Ministry in the fight against the disease for the next three years.
And between 2021, 2022 and 2023, part of the money would pay for compensation to poultry farmers whose birds were affected and killed either by the disease or the ministry to prevent further spread of the disease.
Dr Afiriyie Akoto indicated that, currently, nine regions out of the sixteen have been affected with the bird flu disease, when he addressed the media after briefing Parliament House on the floor of the House on the subject matter.
On the floor of the House, he told Members of Parliament that Ghana recorded the latest bird flu in July 7, 2021, whiles previous cases were in 2007, 2015 and 2018 as the bird flu poses a threat to the Ghanaian poultry industry and some of the measures put in place included ban on importation from neighbouring countries.
And ban of poultry product from affected regions and strict inspection of poultry birds in transit by the veterinary service and the Ministry intensify field services as additional measure.
As to when farmers would receive compensation as the Minister has said in his presentation, he told the House as soon as funds are available since it is an emergency situation the Ministry would roll out compensation to poultry farmers whose birds got destroyed as a result of the flu.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com