Parliament approves eleven million Ghana cedis to curb spread of Bird flu

Parliament has approved 11 million Ghana cedis for the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to control, eradicate and prevent the Avian Influenza outbreak in the country.   

The Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs after assessing the comprehensive  nationwide emergency plan by the Ministry to deal with the outbreak, decided on the amount.   

The Ministry is also to receive three point eight million Ghana cedis from the Ministry of Finance for the same cause as directed by the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah.  

These came out when the  committee presented its report on the outbreak of Avian Influenza in the country.

Meanwhile a Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in-charge of Livestock, Dr Hannah  Bissiw has hinted of government decision to compensate farmers whose live birds have been destroyed as a result of the bird flu.

She however said a final decision is yet to be taken on the package. 

She said government is contemplating a compensation package of  two million Ghana cedis for the farmers whose birds had been destroyed. 

More than three thousand live birds has so far been destroyed since the outbreak of the virus .

GBC/Graphic