Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has yet to address two critical issues: bird flu vaccination and culling compensation for affected farmers.
Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen seems not to have responded publicly so far to two pressing issues facing his department. Both relate to bird flu – the easing of restrictions to facilitate a vaccination programme against bird flu, and payment of compensation to farmers who have had to cull millions of chickens during bird flu outbreaks.
Both require ministerial intervention. The vaccination programme has not yet got underway because the conditions set by Minister Steenhuisen’s department mean that most poultry producers will not get permits to vaccinate their flocks, and those that do find that compliance is too expensive.
Poultry farmers want a solution, urgently, so that they can start vaccinating.
The compensation issue is another hot potato. Steenhuisen is wating for legal advice on whether or not to appeal against a High Court ruling that overturned the “sick birds have no value” basis on which his department has refused to pay compensation.
If the judgment stands, it opens the government to compensation claims which the poultry industry says could total billions of rands.
Both issues are urgent, and neither will go away. Decisions will have to be made.
