Kojo Acquah
About 6,060 local birds infected by bird flu at the Second Battalion of Infantry (2BN) at Apremdo in the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipality of the Western Region, have been destroyed.
Also destroyed were 5,450 foreign layers, 86 ducks and 60 Guinea fowls.
Kojo Acquah, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) disclosed this at the First Ordinary Meeting of the 3rd Session of EKMA.
He told the assembly members that there was a reported case of an outbreak of bird flu at the 2BN early this year.
He said as part of measures to manage the situation, staff of the Veterinary Service and Environmental Health Department were deployed to the area to assist in dealing with the situation.
He revealed that three military personnel infected by the flu had been treated.
He said the assembly is poised to distribute a total of 12,000 oil palm and 5,000 coconut seedlings to farmers in the area for planting under the Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD).
As part of efforts to help the seedlings grow well, he said, the Agricultural Extension Officers in the municipality recently embarked on an exercise including, spacing out the seedlings at the PERD nursery site to enhance their growth.
He disclosed that the assembly’s Department of Agriculture has facilitated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between EKMA Vegetable Farmers Association and an NGO called Complete Farmer Limited at East Legon, Accra.
He said under the agreement, the NGO would serve as a ready market for the farm produce and provide the farmers with the requisite technical know-how needed to enhance their activities.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi