Senators argue against repeal of livestock board

Opposition and Independent Senators have agreed that the passage of The Livestock and Livestock Products Board (Repeal) Bill, 2021, would spell the death of the livestock industry in TT.

The bill was piloted by Agriculture, Land, and Fisheries Minister Clarence Rambharat, who said the existing legislation creates the multi-sectoral board, gives it certain functions, and creates regulatory making functions.

“No regulations have been created by this board in its 25 years in existence. The board does not create or administer policy, and does not issue permits or licences, unlike boards in larger countries after whom the legislation is modelled. Up to today, the ministry is responsible for policy-making, legislation, permitting, and oversight, and these should remain with the ministry,” he said.

Rambharat said what has created a problem for this board and similar entities was the feeling that it had very little to do, as the main livestock industry in TT is poultry, where the farmers created its own facilities and mostly needed the ministry to provide technical facilities for chicken growout.

He said often the ministry’s focus on running its farms crowded out private farmers, and the livestock board could not do anything about that without the input of the executive.

He said the bill has been on the order paper for three sessions of Parliament as the ministry had not completed work on its replacement, The Act to Amend the Animal Diseases and Importation Act Chapter 67:02, which was brought before the Parliament in May 2020.

He said the bill introduced the positions of chief veterinarian and inspector and took all eventualities into account. He said a committee, which would replace the board, was formed under this bill, comprising 11 members, with a broad range of responsibilities, which had been established and began working after the bill was proclaimed in June 2020.

Opposition Senator Damian Lyder said the board had not been properly supported and funded since 2015 when the present government had come into power. He said the government had to be taken to court in 2018 to appoint the board, which has since remained dormant due to under-resourcing and refusal of some members to work with others.

He said between 2015 and 2020, CSO data showed that there had been a decline in production of beef, mutton, and dairy milk. He quoted a Newsday article from January 2021 which said the numbers of dairy farmers in TT were dwindling to high costs.

He said one of the issues which could be addressed in the livestock industry, if the board was properly resourced included the artificial insemination station in Aripo where all categories of livestock could be inseminated. Newsday recently reported on the shortage of government veterinary insemination services affecting the livestock industry.

“This station has been under-resourced for the last six years, and is particularly affecting small farmers, who do not have access to the equipment and facilities needed to carry out these procedures. In the absence of the board, larger companies which can afford these facilities had been edging out the small farmers.”

Other aspects of the industry which would be administered by a fully functioning board would include the sugar cane feed centre, the Centeno livestock station, the Mon Jaloux forage development centre, collection and dissemination of data, monitoring of markets for products, advocacy for better prices for small and medium farmers, procurement of medication, access to the pasteurisation plant in Aripo, land tenure, and others.

He questioned why Rambharat had not stated the members of the board, as the board was mandated to have representatives from the various sectors of the livestock industry.

Independent Senator Anthony Vieira asked why the bill had to be repealed rather than amended to include the missing aspects such as regulatory oversight. He said the creation of an advisory committee within the ministry is a step backward from the board, which is comprised of experts in the sector, on a multi-disciplinary basis.

“The sector is a very important sector for our economy, for food security for our rural communities. It’s not just poultry and buffalypso. It needs think tanks and multi-sectoral support. It’s not about the large farms but should be about the small farmers.”

The debate was adjourned at Rambharat's request.