9,000 Poultry Killed in Kano over Bird Flu

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano
About 9,000 birds have so far been killed in Kano State since bird flu resurfaced in the state two weeks ago.

A Director in the state Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. Shehu Bawa, told journalists in Kano yesterday that the birds were killed in two poultry farms which had been infected with the disease in the state.

“We killed only 300 birds in the first farm while in the second farm, no fewer than 8,500 birds were killed. As I am talking to you, only two farms were hit by the disease, and the farms had since been depopulated,” he stated.

According to him, the state Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources would continue to intensify surveillance and disinfection of other farms to check the spread of the disease.
He said the ministry also embarked on sensitising farmers on the need for them to ensure clean environment.

Bawa called on the federal government to pay compensation to farmers who lost their birds in 2015 as the affected farmers were yet to receive anything from the government.

“The payment will greatly assist in checking the spread of the disease as they (poultry farmers) will promptly report outbreak of the disease to the government since they know they will get compensated.
“Even if they are not fully compensated, the federal government should come to the aid of the affected farmers in order to alleviate their sufferings,” he added.