With the resurfacing of the avian influenza, also known as bird flu in some parts of the country, there is palpable fear, especially by farmers, this will take toll on their business. Moreso fillers from the government circles indicate that the sledge hammer may fall on illegal farmers. JOHN OBA reports
The federal government has decided to go tough on illegal poultry farms across the country following the ravaging Avian Influenza, (AI), outbreak in 22 states, including the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
This was disclosed by the Chief Veterinarian Officer of the Federation, Dr. Egejura Eze, during a sensitisation programme on as bird flu in Kuje and Gwagwalada Area Councils of the FCT at the weekend.
This is even as the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has cautioned farmers to ensure bio-security measures as a way of containing the outbreak.
Eze said the government would not allow illegality and impunity to continue in the poultry industry as she bemoaned the rise of unregistered poultry farms by some people who by-pass the veterinarian officer in the states and local government areas, but comes forward to be compensated by the government for losses incurred during an outbreak of Bird Flu.
According to the Chairman of PAN in Plateau state, John Dasar, it was noted that the disease had resurfaced in Kano and some states in the South West.
He said this while speaking with Journalists in Jos.
“Reports have it that the disease has shown its ugly head in Kano and some states in the South west, so the need for our farmers to be reminded to take their bio-security more seriously,” Dasar said.
The last time the disease began was in Lagos around January 8, 2015 and in 10 days it was already recorded in Plateau, meaning that within the span of this short time it had reached out this far.
Dasar noted that a lot of farmers suffered during the last outbreak of the disease in the state, and PAN would not allow such an ugly incidence to affect its members again. He however commended the farmers for their efforts in keeping to terms with the tenets of poultry business.
“We are calling on farmers not to relax on adhering strictly to bio-security measures because Nigeria is not yet free of bird flu,” he stated.
It would be recalled that Plateau became one of the states that was hit the most by an outbreak of bird flu, which left the state with more than 160 farms closed down and 400,000 birds destroyed last year.
According to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development the virus has affected 93 local government areas in 22 states and the FCT, with total number of 541 cases confirmed which 2, 378,698 birds have been depopulated, and compensation of N709, 969, 987 paid to 276 farmers.
The sensitisation programme with the theme, ‘Fight Bird Flu, Protect Birds and You’, was handled by an officer in the Department of Veterinary Services, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Gidado Ahmed, who outlined basic measures to assist farmers in curbing the spread of the virus.
Ahmed said poultry farmers are to apply two biosecurity measures of containment and isolation.
He said farm owners are to keep poultry in closed, screened buildings on the farm to prevent entry of rats, birds and reptiles that can carry the virus into the building from diseased farms.
“Separation of poultry from other animals and from other poultry species, no standing bodies of water on the farm as this can attract wild birds that may be carriers of the virus.
“Control movement of people, animals, equipment, and vehicles in and out of farm. The farm should be fenced with a foot bath containing disinfectant at the gate and entrance of each pen, plastic egg trays should be used to transfer eggs and for easy disinfecting, egg buyers should not be allowed into pens, but be at the gate of the farm.
“Separate sick birds from health ones, avoid patronage of hawkers of day old chicks, all live-birds should be sold outside farm, farm workers should not be allowed to visit a diseased farm, clean the environment of farm very well, make accurate measurement of disinfectant for optimal performance.
“Report any symptom of Bird Flu to the nearest government veterinary office in the LGA, and give maximal cooperation to government officials who come to the farm to assist you control the disease by providing necessary information they ask”, Gidado said.
He also advised farm owners not to panic when samples are taken for laboratory analysis, and if the result turns out to be negative there is every arrangement to compensate them. He also debunked claim of vaccination for farms.
“There is no vaccination exercise going on in any poultry farm, but we encourage you to cooperate with us, and also farm owners, sellers and drivers should cooperate among themselves to fight the disease, and don’t spread the disease and don’t be smart to say you want to sell every poultry product, and it will back fire because the virus brings down a farm within a week”, he stated.
