Lack of drugs and other important inputs and equipment, is crippling the work of veterinary officers in the Upper Manya Krobo District.
This had restricted the officers in their efforts to provide the necessary care to birds and animals of farmers in the district.
Information gathered by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) Media Auditing and Tracking of Development Projects team being sponsored by STAR-GHANA, indicated that veterinary officers in the district had to finance their own activities, like the purchase of drugs and other equipment, to treat the animals of their clients.
Officers who cross the Volta Lake to the seven communities of the district on the Islands where most of the cattle farmers and their cattle are based, have to travel on the lake for over four hours in a canoe to the Islands without life jackets.
Due to the risk involved, the veterinary officers are forced to visit the Islands twice a month, instead of twice every week.
The situation has resulted in the emergence of fake people parading themselves as veterinary officers and selling fake cheap veterinary drugs to the farmers.
To help contain the situation, the district directorate of agriculture, had started some basic training of farmers in the district in basic animal care, like the application of de-wormer, and the detection of some minor illness and medications based on the symptoms.
Reacting to the situation, officials of the District Directorate of Agriculture appealed for the provision of vaccines for the periodic vaccination of the animals against dangerous known disease to help prevent major diseases outbreaks, and also funding for the training of farmers to know and understand the basics of animal health to guide them on their farms.
GNA
