Daily Trust (Abuja)
8 September 2009
Abuja — The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources has paid N631 million (5.43 million dollars) to farmers whose birds were culled due to avian influenza.The period covered by the payment is from 2006, when the first outbreak in the country was reported at Sambawa Farm, Kaduna, to date.
Dr Mohammed Sa'Idu, the Component Coordinator, World Bank Animal Health and Avian Influenza Control Project, disclosed this in Abuja, on Monday.He said the money was paid to more than 3,037 beneficiaries, including farms and farmers, while more than 1.26 million birds were depopulated over the period.
According to him, of the 1,756 suspected cases reported between 2006 and 2008, 300 were positive."From the record available, 32 states and the FCT recorded suspected cases and after intensive laboratory investigation, birds in 25 states and the FCT spread across 97 local government areas tested positive," he said.
Sa'Idu said in 2007, N86.2 million was paid as compensation to farmers in 12 states including Jigawa, Edo, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kano, Edo, Plateau, Lagos, Adamawa, Kastina, Yobe and the FCT.
He said that a total of N437 million was paid to some 3,000 affected farmers in the first and second phases of compensation.
The coordinator explained, however, that compensation to seven farmers in Kano State was still outstanding because the farmers failed to follow the guidelines on re-stocking.
The regulation stipulates that a de-populated farm must lie fallow for three months and seek the approval of veterinary officials before being reactivated.
"It was part of the agreement between the government and the World Bank that before any of the affected farmers could re-stock, he must seek the approval of designated veterinary officials.
"But the seven farmers ignored the agreement and went on their own to restock and for this, government is not paying, he said.
According to him, efforts are being made to determine the number of affected farmers who went back to business after the outbreak and map out strategies to ensure the return of others.
Sa'Idu said FAO had fully collaborated with the Federal Government on in-depth surveillance of 4,892 bird samples from 433 different locations.
NAN
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