Nigeria has lost over N10bn as a result of the outbreak of avian influenza in poultry farms located in 21 states across the country.
According to the Poultry Association of Nigeria, the umbrella body for poultry farmers, the outbreak of avian influenza, otherwise known as bird flu, warranted the depopulation of about 1.7million birds, while each of the bird had an average economic worth of about N7,000.
PAN also urged the Federal Government to reconsider its decision to suspend the payment of compensation to poultry farmers who lost their investments as a result of the outbreak of the viral disease.
The Federal Government had last week announced that bird flu was recorded in 491 poultry farms in Nigeria and stated that it would henceforth stop the payment of monetary claims to farmers because the compensation package had made them to relax in complying with stipulated bio-security measures.
Quantifying the loss which the Nigerian economy had suffered as a result of the outbreak, the Director-General, PAN, Mr. Onallo Akpa, said the country had lost over N10bn between January and September 2015, as the disease started this year.
Akpa, who spoke with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, said, “We have about 1.7million laying birds that have been depopulated as a result of this outbreak. So to calculate the direct economic loss, if you take this figure and multiply it at the rate of N5,000 which is the economic value of one laying bird, you will realise that Nigeria has lost over N10bn.
On the suspension of compensation to farmers, he said, “If government says there is no compensation, the situation is going to be worse. Because no matter how paltry the compensation is, farmers are encouraged to report suspicious diseases whenever they occur.
He stated that instead of suspending compensation to poultry farmers and passing blame, the Federal Government should call for a stakeholders’ meeting where inputs will be made on how to tackle the problem.
The PAN however said that there was no cause for alarm over the recent reported case of fresh avian influenza outbreak in the country.
The poultry farmers, who spoke through their president, Dr. Ayoola Oduntan, said the outbreak had been brought under control and no harm was expected to come to people who consume chickens or chicken products.
Oduntan spoke in his office during a press conference organised to mark this year’s World Egg Day.
He said the outbreak was not unusual adding that Nigeria’s situation was better than that of United States of America whose avian flu outbreak in July affected 37 million birds.
Oduntan said, “Avian influenza is a disease of poultry. And it is not unusual for it to reoccur. This year’s outbreak is the first one we have had since 2009 and we are proud of how the situation has been managed.
“This time, it has not spread the way it spread in January, which shows the level of control measures that have been adopted. All the related agencies have worked very hard to bring the situation under control.”
The Country Director, International Poultry Council, who is also the Director-General, PAN, Mr. Onallo Akpa, said Nigeria was not an isolated case when it comes to avian flu outbreak.
“Based on training in biosecurity, a lot of farmers were prepared to tackle the outbreak. We also had major producers and international organisations donating disinfectants to farmers free of charge.
“The influenza is restricted to 21 states and even in those states; there are just pockets of farms affected.”
Ayoola assured consumers that the flu did not affect egg or chicken adding that the birds affected by the disease were usually dead or removed while the chicken products currently consumed by consumers are healthy.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Benefits of an egg a day for the Nigerian child, crack an egg and help crack world hunger,’ Oduntan said PAN celebrated egg because it believed that it would eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition.
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