Farmer in shock as bird flu claims 19,800 out of 23,000 birds

Andrew Unutame of Oghenejename Farms Limited in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State has said he was still in shock how Avian influenza popularly called bird flu, attacked and killed 19,800 out of the 23,000 birds in the farm in less than one week.

“As at last week, the number of birds killed in the farm was 11,000 in three days. As I speak with you this morning, the number of deaths has reached 19,800 and this is over N100m loss when you consider that some of the birds were already laying eggs while others were at the point of lay”, he told BusinessDay in an interview.

“This farm has existed more than 12 years and this is the first time we’ve experienced such influenza in the farm. I don’t know what is responsible for this extra-ordinary outbreak, he lamented.

Read also: Poultry farmers count losses as bird flu ravages farms in Delta

The outbreak has affected over 90 percent of farms in Delta State. For more than two months now, farms around us have been losing their birds and they couldn’t cry out because they thought measures they were putting in would help curtail the outbreak.

‘Last week, our own farm (Oghenejename farms) was attacked by the disease and the situation has been hopeless till date, as all efforts made as been futile.

“We don’t even know where to start from because no one can give you loan without collateral. They must visit your farm to be sure you have birds that could generate money enough to pay back the loan given to you.

That is why we are asking for the state government’s intervention against the outbreak as well as in financial assistance to enable find our feet again, he appealed.