THE Federal Government said yesterday that about 3.5 million birds were lost to bird flu outbreak in 26 states and Abuja.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Chief Audu Ogbeh, at an emergency meeting with Commissioners of Agriculture from the 36 states and the FCT in Abuja, said the birds were killed to prevent further spread of the virus to other states.
Describing the situation as alarming, Ogbeh said the meeting became vital to determine progress of the states towards addressing the bird flu situation, including other issues that might affect agricultural activities, such as crops ecological mapping, soil fertility, fertiliser application and others.
Ogbeh said: “The current status of the diseases in the country is quite alarming. It has now affected 26 states and FCT with over 3.5 million birds culled so far. Recently, a new strain of bird Flu Virus (H5N8) was reported in Kano.
‘The new strain is believed to be very pathogenic and more devastating to poultry species and therefore, it may further add to the burdens of the strain (H5N1) that is currently circulating in the country.”
He explained that government banned trans-boundary movement of poultry products and other agro-allied material with high propensity of risk.
However, the minister said government provided diseases containment materials, which included disinfectants, personnel protective equipment (PPEs), plastic transport crates, sprayers, syringes and needles, disposals gloves, Colman boxes, Vacutainer tubes, sample bottles and swabs to the 36 states and FCT.
On how to encourage farmers, whose farms are affected by the disease while sustaining the fight against the spread, the minister said government worked out a participatory and cost sharing compensation programme.
According to him, the compensation plan is restricted to poultry farmers with flock sizes of 3000 birds and below.
He added that compensation proposal will be 75 per cent of their value, with cost sharing between the Federal Government and states at 50 per cent and 25 per cent and at prevailing market value of the birds.