The Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers (GNAPF) has suggested an insurance package to cushion poultry farmers from the viral infections outbreaks  in birds.

According to the Chairman of the Association, Mr Victor Oppong Adjei, poultry farmers were running at a loss due to such outbreaks because of lack of insurance cover for such emergencies.

Mr Adjei made the suggestion in an exclusive interview with the Ghanaian Times over the weekend on the state of insurance cover for poultry farmers, amidst the recent outbreak of Avian Flu in the country.

He also noted that most of the insurance companies’ policies were only prepared to provide insurance cover for bacteria infectious diseases as against viral infectious diseases because “they claimed it was easily treatable and less dangerous.”

Some of the viral diseases he mentioned included Newcastle, Fowl Pox and Avian Flu (Bird Flu).

“Some farms has been insured already but most of the insurance go to fire, and other things which the insurance companies are ready to insure”, he said.

“Much as human beings have life, so also do birds have life. So there are some pertinent things that a farmer is expected to have, especially in insuring the birds on health issues”, MrAdjei continued.

“We have two basic health issues. We have the bacteria and the viral ones. But we had some discussions with some insurance people and they were only ready to insure those that are bacteria infected, but for most of our cases it is the viral that is disturbing the farmers”, the Chair added.

Mr Adjei in furtherance noted that the leadership of the Association would continue to engage insurance companies to try and find solution to the issueas it had become even more important due to the recent outbreak of the Avian Flu diseases in the country.

Asked if the Association had contacted the National Insurance Commission (NIC) on the proposal, the Chair of the Association responded otherwise, adding that “we will soon contact them in order to find a lasting solution to the issue.”

The Chairperson of the Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association (GAPFA), Mrs Gifty Rodor, who shared her thought on the issue, explained that the Association at various forums had engaged government officials on the issue, but had yielded no results.

She also underscored the need for insurance policy for both bacterial and viral infectious diseases, as well as the mandatory acquisition of a biosecurity certification by poultry farmers from the Veterinary Service Directorate (VSD).

The possession of the certificate, she said, “will help the insurance company be sure that the farmer has a biosecurity certification so that he or she is not supposed to have any viral disease unless it is a misfortune.”

Mrs Rodor encouraged poultry farmers to get enrolled unto insurance policies should the issue be addressed.