Emperor Valley Zoo gets $3m upgrade

THE EMPEROR Valley Zoo in St Ann's is undergoing an upgrade costing over $3 million. Some $1.89 million was allocated in the budget for the ongoing upgrade of buildings at the zoo, agriculture Minister Kazim Hosein told the Standing Committee of the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

Finance Minister Colm Imbert added that the sum followed $1.4 million spent on the upgrade last year, out of an initial allocation of $3 million.

Couva North MP Ravi Ratiram asked about a $2.5 million allocation to the St Augustine Nurseries, with Hosein replying it was largely for the construction of screen houses for citrus trees, along with other things.In light of this investment, Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh asked for an assurance that the Government had dropped its plans to build public housing on the agricultural site.

Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George ignored the question and carried on the proceedings.Moruga/Tableland MP Michelle Benjamin asked about an allocation of $800,000 for novel items, namely hill rice, honey and unspecified "forestry products." all dubbed. agricultural niche products. She asked why nothing was actually spent on this item last year, despite an initial allocation of $5 million.Hosein said this year's focus was on honey and forestry products, and promised to supply apiary equipment and seedlings.But Benjamin said she was quite taken aback at the omission of hill rice, a product grown in Moruga.Hosein replied that he had spoken with the hill rice farmers.

"We are looking at a national plan for rice, including hill rice." Ratiram asked about an allocation for the reforestation of denuded areas in the Northern Range.Hosein said last year the ministry had got a release to get teak and pine seedlings.Ratiram scoffed that while the Government had got 400,000 seedlings, the former People's Partnership government had obtained 660,000. He lamented that this year's allocation to reforest the Northern Range had fallen to $400,000, from $800,000 spent last year.

Hosein promised to provide him details of the number of hectares of land to be reforested. Ratiram asked why only $75,000 was spent last year out of $1.1 million allocated for the rehabilitation of the cocoa industry. This year's budget allocated $1 million.Hosein replied that contracts had been agreed late in the year in fiscal 2022, with $893,000 in contracts still outstanding. Ratiram asked if farmers would be compensated for livestock infected by rabies-bearing bats, and Hosein said the relevant staff levels would be ramped up. Cumuto/Manzanilla MP Dr Rai Ragbir asked if a snake-venom milking facility at Sangre Grande had any staff, but Hosein said the unit had been transferred from his ministry to the Ministry of Health. Under allocations to non-profit organisations, Ragbir lamented zero allocation made to the TTSPCA last year to fight animal cruelty. Ratiram asked if this year's allocation of $230,000 was sufficient.

Hosein replied that the allocation was to pay for food and medicine as more animals were picked up, with Ratiram then asking him to consider supplementing that sum in the Mid Year Review.