NATIONAL NEWS

Bird Flu: Ministry Destroys 40,000 Birds

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture(MOFA) has supervised the killing of over 40000 birds as part of measures to contain the spread of the Avian Influenza(Bird Flu). According to the ministry, the outbreak was recorded in the Greater Accra, Volta and the Ashanti regions with the Greater Accra region recording the highest number of cases.

The ministry is however assuring the public not to panic as they have put in place adequate measures to contain the flu.

Addressing the media on some interventions made by the ministry of agriculture, Deputy sector Minister, Dr. Hannah Bissiw stated that the ministry will do all it can to ensure it contains the situation.

“the ban is still effective as part of measures to counteract the flu. Poultry and poultry products from the region s experiencing the out breaks cannot be permitted into the region that are not experienced the outbreaks,” she said.

“We have to put these strict measures in place to make sure that in the next few months getting to Christmas the Greater Accra, to be specific our capital will be free from the outbreak,” the minister added.

Meanwhile 23,987 birds died naturally from the outbreaks in all the three regions. Also, a total of 103 crates of eggs, 37 bags feed have been destroyed, with a whole feed mills sited in an outbreak site is still under investigation for destruction in Otinibi in the Greater Accra Region.

Dr. Hanah Bissiw also added that there has not been any reported outbreak in the country for the past 10 days.

Measures to contain situation

Farms in the outbreak districts that have enforced strict bio-security measures will be regularly screened by the Accra veterinary laboratories and issued certificates if they are free of the infection.

Farms with freedom of infection certificates from the screening can have the slaughter of their birds strictly supervised by the veterinary staff and policed to the sales points to avoid contact with contaminated materials.

Compensation

Dr. Hanna Bissiw indicated that government will soon release a compensation package for farmers whose birds will be destroyed in the process.

“Government is working out modalities to pay compensation to affected farmers. Monies have been approved and so we will consequently work on the percentage because the numbers have to be audited it has to go through a number of things to ensure that a farm was affected with a number of birds.. This is to make sure that monies do not go into wrong hands.” she stated.

She further advised farmers not to destroy the birds by themselves but t rather report cases so they can reconcile the figures and pay for the number of birds destroyed.

Source: ghanaweb

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