Govt. missing in action as T&T bans Guyana’s poultry

Jun 02, 2019 Letters

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Dear Editor,

For more than four years, APNU+AFC as a government has persistently been missing in action (MIA) whenever Guyana and the Guyanese people face threats. This week, many more examples of APNU+AFC MIA were evident.
Trinidad and Tobago on May 31, 2019 announced a total ban on cooked and raw poultry products from Guyana because of the presence of Duck Viral Hepatitis (DVH) in the duck population of Guyana. It is an understatement that the Guyanese people were shocked on Friday when Trinidad and Tobago publicly announced the ban on Guyanese poultry products – raw and cooked – entering through the ports of that country. Even more shocking is that the APNU+AFC Government was equally surprised, confused and unaware that we had a problem. They were caught off-guards again.
At the time of the announcement, Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture was, as usual, out of the jurisdiction – he was out of the country this time. He always seems to be somewhere else when agriculture faces a threat. There is no indication that either the Minister of Public Health or the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Guyana was aware of the ban. In fact, there is no indication that anyone in the David-Granger-led APNU+AFC Cabinet knew anything about the ban. It appears they were as shocked as ordinary Guyanese citizens that Trinidad and Tobago announced the ban.
Did Trinidad and Tobago take arbitrary action in banning poultry products from Guyana? Usually, the Government of one country, through relevant officers, would inform the other country when an adverse action is taken because of the reporting of an adverse event. Was this protocol followed? Trinidad and Tobago banned poultry products from Guyana because of reports of DVH in Guyana. On May 19th, the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) announced closure of their hatchery because of problems encountered; they never stated what the problems were. But DVH is a reportable animal disease and, I suspect, under the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations (IHR) rules, Guyana had to notify the international authorities of the presence of DVH. Trinidad and Tobago might have become aware through that reporting.
But why were the people of Guyana not informed? Why was it that no one in authority in the government knew? Was it that they were not told by the GLDA? Was it that they paid no attention? I can only say that if such a disease was found when I was Minister, the relevant GLDA staff would have been in my office, I would have notified the President and the Cabinet urgently and advised of action the GLDA and the Ministry of Agriculture planned in our response to end the problem.
If Guyana did inform international authorities, in accordance with the IHR’s rules, that it identified incidences of DVH, an infection with a high mortality rate in poultry animals, Guyana did the right thing. The Ministry of Agriculture and the Government of Guyana must be commended for adhering to the rules, as dictated in the IHR, if they did it. At the very least, PAHO and CAREC should have been informed. There is no room for not following such minimum standards. I suspect, it was this notification by Guyana that caused Trinidad and Tobago to act in banning poultry products from Guyana to enter Trinidad. Trinidad and Tobago was not acting arbitrarily and without cause. Why then, the surprise by our government? Why then, no one seems to know about the problem? Did the Minister of Agriculture paid no attention and did he fail to inform his Cabinet colleagues?
The shock expressed by government ministers demonstrates a government that is aloof and not in control. The Guyanese people should not be finding out about this matter only after Trinidad and Tobago banned poultry products from Guyana. But more importantly, the surprise by the Government exposes their proclivity of never knowing where problems exist or their posture of not caring. If Guyana did inform the international bodies about the presence of this deadly virus in Guyana’s duck population, the Government should have similarly made a public pronouncement in Guyana.
Public Health Advisory should have been prepared for the population and, specifically for farmers. While, the human population may not have been under severe threat, there was an economic consequence for farmers. The presence of DVH in ducks had the potential to wipe out the total poultry industry. In making its pronouncement, the Government should have stated what actions it had taken and continue to take to make Guyana free of the DVH.
The story of the T&T ban, the story of the non-awareness of the relevant Government ministers, add to the overall perception that APNU+AFC is always many steps behind, always caught by surprise, always aloof. It is highly irresponsible that not a single Minister was aware of the presence of DVH and of the consequences. It is an abrogation of duty and an example of total neglect that the Minister of Agriculture was not leading the response, much less aware of the problem. This government always is MIA. This is why the December 21st No-Confidence Motion happened.

Yours Respectfully,
Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

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