Dormaa Poultry farmers call for equipment for veterinary laboratory

The Dormaa Poultry Farmers Association has renewed its appeal to the government to equip a building reserved for use as veterinary laboratory in Dormaa-Ahenkro with required logistics for diagnoses to be performed on poultry birds.

They lamented that “the provision of the equipment which is long overdue”, was having a crippling effect on poultry business in the area.

This, they explained was because they had to incur extra cost, time and money to travel to Kumasi and sometimes Accra to perform diagnoses on sick poultry birds when there was outbreak of disease.

Mr. Dei Kusi, the Chairman of the Association made the appeal when he addressed a news conference organised by the Association at Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Dormaa Central Municipality of Brong-Ahafo Region.

"The building, which was constructed in 2004, if well equipped, could be used to scientifically diagnose sick animals for better prescriptions to be made, he indicated.

"This building has been left idle since its construction because there's no equipment to be used" Mr. Kusi added.

The Association pleaded with the government to consider waiving off the new 15 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) from the cost of importing day old chicks, implement the 60 to 40 percent policy on frozen chicken and enact a law to regulate the local hatcheries.