Bird flu: Poultry farmers get GHC1m compensation

Twenty-five poultry farmers have been paid GHC1 million as compensation for the birds they lost during the bird flu outbreak in July 2015.

The Minister of Food and Agriculture Mr. Fifi Kwettey, who made the payment at a ceremony in Accra on Wednesday, said the compensation was to enable the farmers to invest the funds back into poultry production, and to also encourage the farmers to report any outbreak of the disease early enough to prevent it from spreading.

Over 68,000 birds and other poultry products were destroyed in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western, Central and Volta Regions following the outbreak.

The Government of Ghana, in July this year, placed a ban on the movement of birds and other poultry products from the affected Regions.

The ban formed part of Government’s holistic strategy to contain the disease in the country.

Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in charge of Livestock, Dr Hannah Bissiw, said at the ceremony that the ban was still in force and asked the public to be cautious.

Spokesperson for the farmers, Major General Edwin Kwamena Sam (Rtd), expressed gratitude to government and appealed for more support.