Commonground
Senior Moderator
7 January 2010
Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources has said it paid N630 million as compensation to farmers whose birds were killed during the outbreak of Avian Influenza (AI) from 2006 to 2009.
The Minister, Sayyadi Ruma, disclosed this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
Ruma said 1,264,191 birds were depopulated during the exercise while 3,030 farmers received the payment across the 25 states and the FCT which were affected during the period.
<!-- open google_inset_a div --> <!-- Display Google AdManager Ad for 'AllAfrica_Story_InsetA'--> <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript"> GA_googleFillSlot( "AllAfrica_Story_InsetA" ); </script>
<!-- close google_inset_a div --> NAN recalls that the first AI outbreak in the country was reported in 2006 at Sambawa Farms in Kaduna State before it spread to other states.
NAN also learnt that farmers in Kano, Edo, Plateau, Lagos, Adamawa, Jigawa, Edo, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kastina, Yobe and FCT received N86.2 million.
Ruma said the compensation was part of government's strategy to ensure that the poultry industry remained in production.
He said the ministry was currently compiling data to determine the number of affected farmers who re-established their businesses as well as to map out strategies for the return of those who had not resumed business.
According to Ruma, 2008 estimates indicate that the poultry industry has a population of more than 145 million birds, out of which 25 per cent are found in commercial farms, 15 per cent semi-commercial and 60 per cent in backyard farms.
The minister said the industry was vital to the national economy with a net worth of more than N40 billion and serving as a source of livelihood to many families.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201001080524.html
Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources has said it paid N630 million as compensation to farmers whose birds were killed during the outbreak of Avian Influenza (AI) from 2006 to 2009.
The Minister, Sayyadi Ruma, disclosed this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
Ruma said 1,264,191 birds were depopulated during the exercise while 3,030 farmers received the payment across the 25 states and the FCT which were affected during the period.
<!-- open google_inset_a div --> <!-- Display Google AdManager Ad for 'AllAfrica_Story_InsetA'--> <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript"> GA_googleFillSlot( "AllAfrica_Story_InsetA" ); </script>
<!-- close google_inset_a div --> NAN recalls that the first AI outbreak in the country was reported in 2006 at Sambawa Farms in Kaduna State before it spread to other states.
NAN also learnt that farmers in Kano, Edo, Plateau, Lagos, Adamawa, Jigawa, Edo, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kastina, Yobe and FCT received N86.2 million.
Ruma said the compensation was part of government's strategy to ensure that the poultry industry remained in production.
He said the ministry was currently compiling data to determine the number of affected farmers who re-established their businesses as well as to map out strategies for the return of those who had not resumed business.
According to Ruma, 2008 estimates indicate that the poultry industry has a population of more than 145 million birds, out of which 25 per cent are found in commercial farms, 15 per cent semi-commercial and 60 per cent in backyard farms.
The minister said the industry was vital to the national economy with a net worth of more than N40 billion and serving as a source of livelihood to many families.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201001080524.html