Some poultry farmers who had their birds destroyed between 2015 and 2018 in two separate outbreaks of Avian influenza (bird flu) say they have still not been compensated.
According to them, some farmers have been paid through a perceived back door method, while attempts by others to get their monies have proven futile.
The anxious farmers who shared their plight on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem, Thursday said life has become unbearable for them and their families.
They will therefore want to know if the government will pay their money or not so they can rest.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in February 2024 instructed the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) to compensate these farmers.
This was on the back of the 2022 Auditor General’s Report revealed that a significant portion of the allocated compensation funds, exceeding GH¢1.8 million, remains unused in the Ministry’s account.
The Chairman, James Klutse Avedzi, emphasised that the directive should be implemented within one month
He warned that, if the Ministry fails to comply within the stipulated timeframe, it will be summoned before the house for questioning.
However, months after the timeline, the farmers say nothing has been heard from the ministry.
One of the farmers, Charles Quaye, who owned 850 birds, disclosed he followed all due processes as instructed but there has not been any positive result.
“At that time, a bird was sold for GH₵60 so imagine how much money I lost. Nobody from the Ministry is telling us anything, but you will be there a colleague farmer will call that he has been settled. What is happening and how do they want the rest of us to survive?” he quizzed.
Another farmer, George Anim Larbi, who also lost 2062 birds, said he suspects foul play in the disbursement.
“I have lost all my workers and can barely feed my family. We all know the difficult times we find ourselves in, yet nobody is paying attention to us. I suspect someone is deliberately withholding the money,” he added.
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