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Local Franklands beef patties on the supermarket shelf |
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, JUNE 14TH 2005 A near 50 percent increase in beef production last year compared to the year before as the livestock industry in St. Kitts and Nevis registers a 15 percent overall increase.
According to the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) Annual Economic Review of the St. Kitts and Nevis economy, the production in the livestock industry increased by an estimated 15.2 percent, compared with growth of 2.7 percent in 2003.
Increased production of beef and goat meat was recorded in 2004. Higher production of beef continued to reflect intensified promotion of the marketing initiative in the use of locally-produced meat as well as improved husbandry practices.
Beef production increased by 46.3% to 121,700 kg in 2004 while goat production increased by 7.1 percent to 13,600 kg, the regional financial institution said.
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| Cattle grazing at Douglas' Estate. Photos by Erasmus Williams |
The report said pork production declined by 7.1 percent to 61,900 kg while mutton also declined by 19.3 percent to 9,600 kg in 2004.
Poultry production also declined with 2,715,000 eggs produced during 2004, 6.5 percent lower than in 2003.
The decrease in the production of poultry eggs was attributed to problems experienced by farmers in obtaining replacement chicks on a timely basis.
The Report said continued efforts were made to address constraints to the livestock industry, which included insufficient lands for livestock farming, insufficient number of breeding eves and does, the high incidence of dog attacks, increasing levels of praedial larceny, absence of pipe-borne water and poor commercial approach by livestock farmers.
