Lack of modern laboratory equipment and gadgets at the Ashanti regional veterinary office has been cited as a factor in the death of over ten thousand rabbits within a very short time in the region.
The region has been hit hard by a new virus called hemorrhagic fever virus. This is the first time, the region is experiencing such outbreak.
Rabbit farmers insist the situation could have been resolved, if the lab was well furnished with modern lab equipment, as samples taken had to be transported to the Accra office for testing. “At the moment the Ashanti regional laboratory office is dysfunctional and ought to be retooled, since the region is the next hub of livestock production.”
Per our investigations the veterinary laboratory has not received any form of funding to retool its obsolete lab equipment for the last 25 years. Serious attention has not been given to the veterinary office, and if the situation remains same, the region would be recording more deaths in the coming months.
The early detection by the veterinary officers in the region in February could have salvaged the spread of the virus to other farms in the region but due to the partial lock down restrictions imposed on Accra, Kumasi and Obuasi, samples taken were delayed and this adversely affected the entire region.
We are learning that the office is seriously under resourced; a situation which is having a grave toll on both farmers, veterinary officers, final consumers and the country as a whole.
This came to a light on Akuafo Kye fa show on Oyerepa 100.7 fm, last Saturday when the affected rabbit farmers appeared on the show to share their ordeal.
Mr. Arthur Ebenezer, lost all his 400 rabbits to the virus, while Mr. Enock Kwarteng lost 100 rabbits in one week.
They have therefore called on the government to initiate processes to equip the veterinary offices across the country to save their investments from going waste.
However, they want Corporate Organizations, Embassies and other organs to support the Ashanti regional veterinary office laboratory with modern equipment and tools.
They attributed the death of their animal to the dysfunctional laboratory in the region and bemoaned the lackadaisical attitude of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture towards livestock production and farmers in the country.
When it comes to animal production in Ghana, MOFA is has just totally failed
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