Butchers Association relieved as ban on Anthrax is lifted

Butchers in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region have commended the government for lifting the ban on the movement, sale, slaughtering of ruminants and consumption of meat in the region, saying it is a relief. 

The ban, which came into force in the early parts of June was because of the outbreak of Anthrax disease in the region, which had killed one person and several animals including cattle, sheep, and goats.

It was to afford stakeholders the opportunity to work to contain the disease and vaccinate animals against the disease.

However, a statement signed by Dr Bryan Acheampong, the Minister of Food and Agriculture announced that the ban had been lifted as the situation had been contained with no recorded case of the disease since June 14, 2023.

As a result, the abattoirs and slaughterhouses which were closed have been reopened and the butchers are now working at various places.

Reacting to the news, Mr. Timothy Timbil, the Secretary of the Bolgatanga Butchers Association, expressed delight at the announcement and said it would help restore their livelihoods.

He explained that the imposition of the ban had created inconvenience, adversely affected their source of income, and made things difficult for them to take care of the needs of their families.

“As parents who take care of families, it was difficult feeding our families very well, and some of our children were even driven out of school because we were not able to pay their fees, so, it brought a lot of difficulty to us,” he said.

The Secretary said all the butchers in the Association were aware of the directives, which were still in force such as slaughtering of animals under the strict supervision of veterinary and environmental health officers at the designated abattoir and slaughterhouses.

“But we are still going to hold meetings and talk to our members to strictly abide by the directives given us,” he added.

Mr. Timbil, however, appealed to the government to make the Anthrax vaccine free for all stakeholders and always enforce laws on vaccination and not to wait for the disease to break out before acting.

This, he said, would not only help sustain their businesses but would prevent the Assembly from losing revenue like it lost during the ban.