Resuscitating the livestock industry

Jun 04, 2017 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

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The APNU+AFC Coalition Government continues to invest in the development of public services and the quality of the service it provides. The livestock industry is back on the front burner under the guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture. Guyana’s dairy and livestock sector had been engaged for several years in a quiet struggle for survival and relevance. Now our industry specialists are looking ahead to financial support, governmental support and stronger business partnerships in the private sector.
The livestock sector continues to contribute to the national GDP but its capacity for enlargement, for enlivening, is immense, as Guyana claws its way back to the title that we used to be so proud of, the ‘Bread Basket of the Caribbean’. This has even more significance in the face of the theory put forward by world scientists that one of the consequences of global warming is the eventual shortage of food supply. Well, even from a cursory look, and save for any cataclysmic events in this part of the world, Guyana could very well become an oasis if those scientific predictions come true.
And it is catching on. Farmers, producers, processors have begun to look this way, to our fertile soils and our geographic protections from hurricanes and other extreme natural events. The attention of the world is thankfully not just on the sub-sea oil fields, but on the nation’s potential to accommodate a wide range of services, agricultural and manufacturing enterprises.
The government has been emphasizing that its focus is just as strong on oil and gas and the benefits therefrom, as it is on environmental protection; on maintaining the greenness of Guyana by replanting our forests as we reap its bounty; on planting food on the wide swathes of fertile savannah lands in the interior regions; and on cattle rearing in the open green lands in Regions 4, 5, 7 and 9 particularly.
Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, in a recent conversation with the Guyana Livestock Development Authority, said that the government continues to seek creative ways to shift our traditional dependence on staple crops like sugar and rice. The livestock sector, he said, has the capacity to achieve feasible, vibrant diversification if given the necessary inputs, e.g. domestic and foreign investments and effective governmental support.

MEETING WITH FARMERS AND BUTCHERS
Later the Agriculture Ministry’s team met with livestock farmers, butchers and law enforcement officers of Regions 5 and 6 to discuss the regulations and requirements that govern caring of animals, humane (and lawful) slaughtering, reviving our dairy industry, and maintaining a high level of production and productivity. After all, Guyana has the capacity to satisfy its domestic needs as well as become once again a lead exporter of quality meats.
The objective of the meeting with farmers and butchers in Berbice was to give them more information about their responsibilities with regards to the Slaughter of Cattle (Control) Act Chapter 71:09, the Cattle Stealing Prevention Act, Miscellaneous Licenses Act, Produce Protection Act, the Georgetown Abbatoir By-Laws and the Animal Health Act.
These two regions were chosen on the strength of several factors, one of which is limited compliance with these same regulations. Law Enforcement is concerned about the higher-than-normal number of road accidents and incidents that are caused by untended cattle day and night. They also sought to address the prevalence of uncertified slaughtering, which has the potential to be unsanitary and a threat to residents’ health. Many of the stakeholders attending the outreach exercise called for some of the existing laws to be reviewed and updated to modern standards of operation. Their recommendations have been taken on board and a review will take place.
The importance of cattle branding was also emphasized. Cattle branding is the deliberate marking of livestock as a means of identification to determine its ownership. One of the challenges with branding and the regulations in the Cattle Stealing Prevention Act is the fact that farmers do not have enough information. The Act specifies that cattle should be branded within six months of its birth, or 28 days after purchase, that new brands should be placed in a distinct and separate area (listed in the Act) from a previous brand, and never over an existing mark.
Other laws state that only certain types of cattle should be slaughtered. This gave rise to numerous queries and farmers’ expressions of concern, especially about the possibility of a reduced amount of meat reaching the market. However, according to the law, female heads of cattle and those with less than one permanent incisor tooth, should not be slaughtered without the written approval of a veterinarian.
This regulation, according to a Ministry official, was put there to serve as a means of ensuring that the cattle herds multiply; that they are not carelessly slaughtered; and to prevent a glut of beef on the market. This was one more requirement that both farmers and law enforcement attendees asked to be updated.
The farmers took the opportunity to speak to Agriculture Ministry officials about issues affecting their businesses. These included new animal diseases and appropriate medicines, cattle rustling which is rampant in Regions 5 and 6, the importance of keeping a Livestock Extension and Government Veterinary Offices in the area well equipped, and the need for better collaboration among butchers, farmers and law enforcement officers.

A LIVESTOCK CENSUS
One of the first orders of business in this resuscitation campaign is to conduct a national livestock census. It will be done under the aegis of the Sustainable Agricultural Development Programme (SADP) which was launched earlier this year.
The census analysis will provide information to sector planners and policymakers who will be able to map the progress of the resuscitation programme, and safely provide prognoses for the future of Guyana’s agricultural industries, their products, and farm practices.
There has been a marked decrease in Guyana’s domestic animal population. Without careful monitoring and the application of measures to curb slaughtering, Guyana could find itself without any food-based animals.

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