The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has announced a decision by the government to lift the ban imposed on movement, sale and slaughtering of ruminants as well as consumption of the meat of such animals.
A statement signed by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong explained that the decision is based on expert advice following what government described as a containment of the spread of the disease.
According to the statement, there has been no recorded case of the disease since June 14, 2023.
This, government says, is a containment of the situation hence, the lifting of the ban.
“The situation has since been contained with no recorded case of the disease since 14th June 2023.
In view of the above, and based on expert advice, the ban on the movement of ruminants and donkeys, slaughtering, sale, and consumption of meat and meat products in the Upper East Region is hereby lifted today, Tuesday, 11th July 2023”.
It has, however, instituted measures to curtail future spread of the disease, the statement indicated.
“The slaughter of all animals should be under close supervision of the veterinary and environmental health officers at designated abattoirs and slaughter slabs,” it announced.
It added that anthrax vaccination of animals, surveillance of cases and sensitization exercise will be continued to combat the disease.
While urging the public to promptly report death of animals to the appropriate quarters and desist from eating meat of animals found dead, it warned that “food vendors/restaurants and owners/butchers will be arrested and prosecuted for the sale of meat and meat products of animals whose slaughtering was not supervised by the veterinary or environmental health officers,”.
The government in early June placed a ban on the movement and trade of ruminants along the eastern part of the Upper East Region following an outbreak of the disease in Binduri which resulted in the death of one person.
The deceased was said to have consumed carcass of a cow infected with anthrax.
The government, in response, announced the ban to prevent its spread but later in June, relaxed the restriction.
The ban has since been lifted effective July 11, 2023.
