Flu: Nigeria loses over 2m birds in 391 farms

Since the current outbreak of bird flu started in a commercial farm with mixed species of birds, the disease has continued to spread. Daily Trust exclusively gathered from the ministry’s records that the disease has spread to 86 local governments in 28 states. As of last week, records showed that the total number of reported […]

Since the current outbreak of bird flu started in a commercial farm with mixed species of birds, the disease has continued to spread.

Daily Trust exclusively gathered from the ministry’s records that the disease has spread to 86 local governments in 28 states.

As of last week, records showed that the total number of reported outbreaks have reached 391, with 388,046 deaths.

Data also showed that 1,843,485 birds were depopulated as part of the federal government measures to check its spread.

A source in the ministry, who wouldn’t want his name in the print, explained the compensation arrangement:

“Under the present policy on bird flu compensation, only resource poor farmers with flock size of not more than 3000 birds are entitled to compensation at a cost sharing formular of 50% (Federal Govt), 25%(state govt) and 25% (farmer) based on prevailing market price of depopulated birds or destroyed items.”

Bird flu spreads as FG chides farmers over insurance, biosecurity

The fight against avian influenza in Nigeria has now become more complicated over the issue of biosecurity, compensation, vaccines and insurance as the disease continues to spread to more than 22 states.

The federal government can only compensate farmers on two conditions: one; those who have 3000 birds and below and secondly, those who have put in place adequate biosecurity.

Even if a farmer meets the first criteria but is not certified to have put biosecurity in place in the farm, such a farmer will not be compensated.

Considering the second criteria, many farmers were not qualifying for compensation. This has made many of them choose the option of selling off the birds quickly to reduce losses once an outbreak is recorded on their farms.

“Even if you meet the conditions, it might take you more than one year to get compensated and what you get per bird is nothing compared to selling off the bird quickly at give-away prices,” Mr Bala Yakubu, a poultry farmer who once had compensation issue in Zamfara State, said.

Another condition many farmers find difficult to accept is the federal government’s position that farmers should buy insurance policies for their farms, as many farmers have problem with that.

When it comes to insurance policy, many farmers do not trust insurance companies.

“It is easier for them to collect your money, but when it comes to compensation, certain rules or conditions are brought up which make claims difficult or impossible,” a farmer who wouldn’t want his name mentioned because he works with government, said.

Dr Maimuna Habib, the Director, Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services (DVPCS) Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said many states were affected by the disease, adding that the ministry is fighting the disease using biosecurity.

“You know in avian influenza, there is no vaccination, we have to use biosecurity. Some of these farmers are not doing the right thing. We advise them to insure their animals,” she said.

Daily Trust asked the director to explain the current state of compensation and the issues around it. Dr. Habib said: “For government, compensation is what all farmers believe in and compensation cannot be done if you have more than 3,000 birds. And again, we have laid some conditions for compensation: you have to have proper biosecurity in place and your birds most be insured with an insurance company. And we encourage people to insure with the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC).”

Speaking on the farmers’ unwillingness to report the disease she said: “That is the problem we have. We at the federal level develop policies for them. The states and local governments must have a form of follow up with these farmers to ensure that they are doing the right thing. How do they do it? Most of them use quacks in their farms. They have to get proper veterinary services in their farms for the birds, but it is difficult for us to get them to do that.”

In Borno State, our correspondent reports that bird flu outbreak has killed hundreds of birds in Maiduguri and environs leading many poultry farmers into bankruptcy.

The state secretary of the Poultry Farmers Association of Nigeria, Bakura Mohammed, said many poultry farmers, especially small scale owners, in Borno State lost hundreds of birds.

Mohammed explained that already, many of the victims, especially small scale farmers, have been dislodged from farming as a result of the outbreak.

He said if the state government did not intervene to rescue the situation, poultry farming will be grounded in the state.

Mohammed appealed to the Borno State government to quickly intervene to mitigate the morbidity and curtail the spread of the virus from Maiduguri to other farms across the 27 LGAs in the state.

A victim of the outbreak, Alhaji Abubakar Umar, told Daily Trust how the disease ravaged his farm.

“Two weeks ago, I lost 189 birds and just two days ago another 130 birds died at night. The situation forced me to sell the remaining birds at a loss to get something and I have now abandoned the business,” he said.

When contacted, Borno State Project Coordinator Avian Influenza, Dr Tijjani Ahmed, confirmed the outbreak, saying, “It is true that we have an outbreak of avian influenza in Borno State. The first confirmed case was found at a live birds market in Maiduguri and the laboratory results of the case from NVRI Vom come out positive of avian influenza on 8th of February 2022.”

Ahmed said the ministry has already quarantined the affected market, stopping the movement of birds from there as well as fumigation of the affected areas.

On his part, the Deputy Director of Veterinary Service, Borno State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Emmanuel Diwa Kaldal, said the ministry had taken proactive measures to curtail the spread of the disease to other LGA’s.

“We have already forwarded the list of items needed for immediate intervention to curtail further spread of the disease and graciously the honourable Commissioner of Agriculture has prepared a memo and submitted to his excellency for approval because the funds needed to control the disease in 27 LGA’s are enormous,” Kaldal said.