A ban imposed on importation of poultry and its products has been lifted, paving way for farmers and traders to buy chicks and eggs from any country in the East African region. The ban slammed in 2005 was to save lives of both people and poultry after reports that the avian flu virus was killing millions of birds and several human beings in Europe and, in Africa, Nigeria and Egypt. The fast spreading lethal virus first broke out on the Asian continent in 2003. Dr. Theogéne Rutagwenda, director general of Rwanda Animal Resource Development Authority (RARDA) said they carried out research and found out that poultry within the region was safe from bird flu. He added that the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) approved the findings.“We checked with neighbouring countries and no more scare seemed to exist,” he said.Rutagwenda was optimistic that after lifting the ban,the poultry population in the country will increase. Currently Rwanda has 2,084,139 million birds. Ends
