Latest update November 8th, 2024 1:00 AM
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Govt. monitoring illegal meat imports
The Ministry of Agriculture has received reports that meat products, particularly pork, have entered Guyana’s market illegally.
The Ministry of Agriculture and the Guyana Livestock Development Authority announced that any illegal importation of these products threatens Guyana’s Food security as well as investment made in the livestock sector, and is a move the Guyana Government will not tolerate.
As such, the Ministry of Agriculture, together with the Ministry of Trade, will be moving to strengthen its surveillance to protect Guyana’s livestock and emphasize the need for importers to adhere to applicable laws, regulations and procedures regarding importation of meat and meat products. 
Any meat and meat product found on the market without the requisite approval will be seized and destroyed.
This serves as a warning to all those who are marketing meat and meat products as illegal importation of animals and animal products into Guyana constitutes a breach of the Animal Health Act 2011 which requires that all animal and animal product be granted permission to enter through a set procedure.
The procedure for importation of animal products requires the prospective importer to apply for a trade import licence from the Ministry of Trade.
The Guyana Livestock Development Authority, through the provision of the Law, is required to give its no objection to the import which is based on the prevailing animal health situation of the importing country.
Further, the Ministry of Health, Public Health Department is also required to give its no objection to this import. Illegal entry of any animal product, from an animal health perspective, poses a threat to Guyana’s livestock industry. Such product could provide a vehicle for the transference of disease-causing agents from the importing country into Guyana.
According to the Ministry: A disease could have the following effects: Reduction of the livestock population as a result of death; reduction in livestock productivity through sickness; reduction in the availability of the specific meat product with the resulting decrease in available protein for human consumption; a need to spend huge sums of money in combating the disease; loss of trade opportunities due to the imposition on restriction in trade of animal products both locally and internationally, through the banning of imports from Guyana.
In some cases, there may be public health implications if the disease affects humans. In such cases, there are huge setbacks in the genetic improvement programme of the country.
Import certification and control provides the first line of defense in preventing the entry of exotic animal diseases to a country.
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