Bird flu outbreak: GH¢14 million compensation for poultry farmers still not paid

Over 2000 farmers affected by bird flu in 2021

11000 birds destroyed by bird flu

Government sets aside GH¢44million to fight bird flu

Poultry farmers in the Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association say they have not received any compensation from government since the outbreak of Bird flu which affected over thousands of birds last year.

According to a Citi Business News report, none of the over two thousand members of the Association have received any form of compensation despite government's pledge.

Minister for Agriculture, Afriyie Akoto in January this year announced the release of a GH¢14 million compensation meant for farmers whose livestock were affected by the bird flu outbreak as partial cushioning for their losses.

Government through the Agric Minister said, it had also released an amount of GH¢44 million to contain the spread of the disease in the country.

These monies according to the minister form part of major interventions to help curb the spread of the disease.

The bird flu outbreak has been recurring since its outbreak in July 2021 and led to the destruction of over 11,000 birds.

In an interview with Citi Business News, Board Member of the Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association, Kwame Ntim Duduo, said no farmer has received money from government.

“That still remains an issue and, in my association, not a single member that got affected has been compensated as of now.”

"We followed up last week and the feedback we had from the veterinary services department is that they are still working on it. We believe that it is taking too long a time, and the farmers are in despair," Dua stressed.

He continued, "They don’t know what is happening, really, it’s an issue we believe the veterinary services department should act on with all the urgency that it deserves. So, no farmer has been compensated in my association of about two thousand people that got affected.”