The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has confirmed a new outbreak of Bird flu on a poultry farm in\u00a0Tarkwa, a suburb of Takoradi\u00a0in the Western Region.<\/p>\n
About 250 birds and other poultry products have so far been destroyed in the area following the outbreak.<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”zcULOou1wJCtCmRBZE9DdcI29ZV0McdW”]In 2015, five regions including Greater Accra, Central, Western, Ashanti and Volta recorded the outbreak, as\u00a0over 7,000 birds were destroyed.<\/p>\n
Government subsequently released GHc11 million to assist in controlling the outbreak through the payment of compensation, and the provision of logistics.<\/p>\n
Confirming the latest outbreak to Citi News<\/strong>, a Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in Charge of Livestock, Dr. Hannah Bissiw, said steps have been taken to curb the spread of the virus.<\/p>\n \u201cThere has been a new outbreak but it is not like it has resurrected. We have not been declared free yet and that is the unfortunate part, we were very hopeful but once you get a new outbreak it sends you back.\u201d<\/p>\n Hannah Bissiw blamed the recent development on \u201csmuggling of birds\u201d into the country from neighbouring countries.<\/p>\n \u201cAnytime there is an outbreak of bird flu in any country, people are not allowed to move from one farm to the other. It\u2019s not allowed. You go to the farm if and only you are needed on that farm. And farmers are required to do second test but some of our farmers are not complying with it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe beg of them that we should all help so that we do not smuggle those things in because our neighbouring countries they still have very active outbreak. The last one we had was on the 15th<\/sup> of December and now we\u2019ve had another one so it should tell you that something came in from somewhere. If people do not help us it will be difficult to eradicate this,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Godwin A. Allotey\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
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