BASSETERRE, St. Kitts –A plan to produce more high quality meat has been put forward by the new Minister of Agriculture Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris, as food security is a major objective in his new agricultural thrust.
In 2009, the Agriculture Department registered 387 200 pounds of pork, beef and goat meat, a decline of about 14% from 2008’s 451 548 pounds of meat. In the 2009 Annual Review for that sector, only in beef did the Department record near self-sufficiency, producing some 67% of national demand.
While the 2010 allocation for the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Constituency Empowerment saw a 3.1% contraction from that of the previous year, the total EC $7 678 319 is expected to finance new initiatives to ensure food security for the twin-island state.
In his presentation in the 2010 Budget Debate, Harris said the new agricultural vision must first address livestock development, focusing on animal health. To this end, Harris announced the Department’s intention to upgrade the Abattoir to improve slaughtering, meat fabrication and packaging.
Human capacity will also be enhanced with the recruitment of a master butcher and assigning an animal health officer to the Abattoir to provide assurance of the quality and safety of the meat.
“We intend to extend facilities to allow the plucking of poultry and slaughtering of rabbits. Rabbit is a high source of protein. It is an important new element in our efforts at food security. Only two (2) weeks ago we gave rabbit feed, and other inputs including material for cages totaling $76 000 to an expanding group of rabbit producers,” Harris said.
Additionally, the Sandy Point Bourkes’ Breeding Unit will be transformed into an “efficient and viable” small ruminant farm where new production systems are expected to be demonstrated. The Breeding Unit will focus on production of Barbados black belly sheep, which is a high meat-producing breed, and additional breeds of small ruminants would be introduced.
Diseases and illnesses among such animals have raised much concern for the Department, so an announcement for livestock producers to access medication on concessionary terms comes as good news.
Harris said, “The Ministry will seek the enactment of the Animal Movement Disease Prevention Act, which will authorize animal health officers to do a lot more to guarantee sick animals and control their movement. Tagging of animals has begun with animals treated by the staff of the Department of Agriculture. A more widespread tagging system will be introduced by September 2010.”
Dr. Harris made four clear commitments for the sustainable development of agriculture on the island. Twelve new commercial farms in St. Kitts and three in Nevis will be established and 25 existing ones upgraded. Harris also committed to increasing the production of local mutton by 20 tons a year or by 38%. This is expected to lead to the third deliverable – supplying 75% of the local demand for mutton and goat meat products.
The final commitment is to increase the average net income of farmers which, according to Harris, would allow them to “make a real living”.
