FG orders poultry owners’ registration against Avian Influenza outbreaks

Avian Influenza outbreaks

In view of the recently occurred outbreak of Avian Influenza across the states of the federation in Nigeria, the Federal government through her Minister of Agriculture has ordered that all the poultry owners through the country must be registered for proper monitoring of bird flu disease.

This position will be part of the policies direction of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) for the year 2016 along some many others that were approved by the Agricultural Council Meeting headed by the Minister, Chief AuduOgbeh together with all the commissioners of the sector from all the states of the federation at Kano last week.

The occurrence of the avian influenza had claimed billion of naira from many poultry farmers in the last one decade with government paying millions as compensation to reduce incidence of losses.

Agriculture minister, Chief AuduOgbeh giving directive to all the states’ commissioners said this decision of owners’ registration was inevitable in order to save chickens production in the country from bird flu saying the home school feeding programme of the government would be hampered if there were shortage of eggs.

According to the minister “Every poultry farm must be registered in all states, and they must inform the Federal ministry of Agriculture. All of this must be constrictly controlled. There will be control team that will be supported with transport. We have to everything to checkmate this disease so as to ensure egg availability for the home school feeding programme of the government. We must do all this check also importation of eggs and chicken into the country. The circular will soon be sent to you for immediate action. Let this message be convey to farmers. In the South West, let there be more awareness to better environment to avoid import of eggs”.

Although the observation were made that the checkpoint of the movement control of chickens should not be turned to revenue extortion points so as to avoid giving officials practitioners a bad image while poultry environment must be kept in clean manner.

Chief Ogbeh however ordered that the names of all the poultry owners in the federation must be well complied in the next forty five days (45) with all following the specified process of registration.