The Ministry of Food and Agriculture is to spend ¢17 million to compensate poultry farmers affected by bird flu disease, beginning this week.

The payment will range from ¢10 per a chick to ¢80 per a bag of feed.

However, only farmers who have their certificates of destruction approved by the Veterinary Services Directorate qualify for the payment.

“To ensure all affected farmers from July 2021 to December 31st , 2021 receive some compensation for any losses incurred as a result of the outbreak, the Ministry has agreed to pay 30 for a matured bird, 20.00 for a pullet, ¢10.00 per chick, ¢80.00 for a bag of feed and ¢10.00 for a crate of egg based on the amount available immediately”, Dr. Afriyie Owusu Akoto, Minister of Food and Agriculture said.

Affected poultry farmers between July – December 31st 2021, should collect their certificates of destruction from the VSD and submit to the Finance and Administration Unit of MoFA for commencement of payments,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Director for Veterinary Services Directorate, Dr. Patrick Abakah sounded a warning to importers of chicks.

He threatened to close down farms without the right certification.

“Any farmer who brings in day-old chicks to any part of this country without certification from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Veterinary Services Directorate and APD, we will destroy the birds without any compensation. We are looking at a having a legislation in the future to back this act,” he warned.

Executive Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers, Lawrence Amartey Tetteh, lauded the ministry for digitizing the poultry sector and compensating farmers despite the challenges.

“In the expectation of the poultry industry realizing its objectives, if we fail to resource the Veterinary Service to be empowered to regulate the activities of the poultry farms, all kinds of disaster will hit the industry. So I commend the ministry for compensating victims of the bird flu and introducing the biometric registration,” he said.