Starving livestock drops dead

Caretakers at the Centeno Livestock Station are calling for more supplies of feed in the wake of several deaths of pregnant goats.

Sources said that feed for goats, rabbit, sheep and cows are supposed to be purchased but for reasons unknown, when the feed became depleted, none was purchased and animals began starving. On the weekend, three pregnant goats died.

Contacted for comment, Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Clarence Rambharat expressed surprise when told that pregnant goats had died because of starvation. “This type of information is not usually made available to me, but I am concerned and I will be contacting my Permanent Secretary to find out if it is true and to have the problem remedied quickly,” the minister said.

Director of the station, D. Cardovan said, “I am not aware of this and although I am the overall director there is a Deputy Director who may have information on this matter.”

Livestock are reared at the station and sold to farmers for breeding purposes and for sale to the public. “We know the country is going through a tough period but animals in the care of the state must bye properly managed and treated humanely,” a worker said adding that a few bags of feed were purchased with money raised by the workers.

Workers also pointed out that the contract for the vet assigned to the livestock station recently came to an end and was not renewed. The Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Ministry received a $795.7 million subvention in the 2018 budget.