Farmers believe dairy industry can be saved
By RIA CHAITRAM
20/03/2021
President of the Cattle Farmers Association believes the ruminant or livestock industry can be saved despite the challenges and pressures it currently faces.
Chris Medford who has been a cattle farmer for over 20 years and president of the association since 2004 said TT has enough resources to ensure a thriving livestock sector and by extension the rest of agriculture sector.
Sunday Newsday visited his farm in Carlsen Field last week to discuss matters plaguing the industry – the latest being an increase in feed prices.
He admitted that the industry has been on a decline since the early 2000s and attributed most of it to mismanagement and corruption at the Ministry of Agriculture and raw deals with Nestle – the Switzerland-based company which purchases milk from the dairy farmers.
Medford said, “The industry was good up until 2001 or 2002 but it has declined considerably and the recent increases in feed prices was another nail the coffin for cattle farming in this country.”
He explained that the cattle industry comprised both dairy cattle and beef cattle. In TT, cattle is hardly reared for beef but rather for its milk, he said.
With continued downward trends in the industry, Medford said, meaningful interventions were needed immediately.
“The butchers get their cows from the dairy farmers. The beef cattle are a spin-off from dairy farming and so, if dairy dies then there is no local beef industry. The entire industry will fail. There are about 150 members in the association with only 75 of those being active cattle farmers. There was once 1,500 members.”
Dairy farmers from Turure, Wallerfield, Carlsen Field, and Waterloo are on the brink of selling out and giving up, he said, with other dairy farms like the one in Esmeralda, which fell into hard times and closed as fast as it was established.
The farmers, Medford said, have been place in a greater predicament to produce milk because the increase in feed prices.
“We are in a desperate situation. In order to produce quality and quantity milk, besides having good genetics, there must also be good nutrition. Unfortunately, we do not have any nutritional grasses.
“The agriculture ministry has always been analysing and testing but have not come up with any suitable grass for milk production. Lactating cows need good quality grass and good quality feed concentrates.”
The increase in feed prices have been attributed to global shipping costs, increased demand for grains such as corn and soybeans, China’s role in the market, unfavourable weather conditions in South America and labour strikes in Argentina.
State-owned National Flour Mills (NFM) has raised their feed prices by up to 14 per cent and Mastermix, a private distributor raised by 10 per cent while prices at Nutrimix, another private distributor, have remained unchanged.
Medford called for the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries to utilise the abandoned lands in Mon Jaloux, Madras, which was once put aside for the purposes of developing feed and grass banks.
“Why should we be in this position where we depend on imported grains to make livestock feed? There was a grass bank in Madras which was a good idea put forward in the (Patrick) Manning administration, but it was closed down and the facility is left abandoned. Nobody (governments) continues what was started, when elected they do things their own way, no matter how good or effective it is.
“All these things have contributed to the point where we are now dependent on imported dairy rations. If it (local grass bank) is revived it can save the local dairy sector. They could plant corn or grass suited for dairy production and we will buy it. We cannot do it alone because praedial larceny continues to plague us.
“We must find alternative sources of feed. There should be vibrant grass in order to adequately supply the sheep farmers, the goat farmers, bison farmers and the cattle farmers.”
Medford cited himself as an example to further drive the point that the livestock industry is on a decline, after his herd of 300 cows now stands at 27, and his staff has been reduced to one person following layoffs over the years.
Another of the farmers’ concern has been government’s subsidy which he claimed has had a significant negative impact on dairy farmers, including a decrease in the yearly production levels.
“We continue to get a pittance of $3.85 (a litre) for our milk which is below the world required price. Labour costs are high, feed prices are high and equipment costs are high.
“In the years before like in 2001 we produced and sold commercially 13 million litres of milk and from then on there has been a consistent decline over the years. This year we a projected to produce 1 million litres.”
Medford hopes that government would assist in finding an alternative where farmers can sell their milk and move away from what he claimed was a monopoly held by Nestle for decades.
He noted that the cattle is also important for religious purposes for Hindus and Muslims which add to their income.
Another farmer in Carlsen Field, Harrinath Jankie said because of the decline in the industry he has to find alternatives to subsidise his income.
“I had to take it upon myself to diversify so I used the milk to create dahee and ghee. This has been more profitable than selling to Nestle. I also went into poultry production some years ago.
“We are anticipating a raise from our feed supplier, Nutrimix and based on that our prices will have to adjusted. In fact, soon we will have to raise the prices on our dahee and ghee.”
Jankie has been a farmer since he was 16 years old and over the decades, noted that the lack of incentives is a deterrent for young people to get involved in farming.
“I had 50 cows now I am down to 23. A major issue is also labour so we had to invest in milking machines which were costly. The first-generation farmers survived but things are hard, and they do not want their children to get involved. They prefer to sacrifice to ensure careers can be built in other sectors.
“The dairy industry could supply but we have to get an alternative, it cannot be that we supply Nestle alone.”
Agricultural consultant at Tropical Agriculture Consultancy Services Riyadh Mohammed said there has not been significant adjustments or development potential in the livestock industry over the years when the country possessed a greater financial backing.
He said it was almost a doom and gloom for the industry and without urgent intervention by the Ministry of Agriculture to get forage farms up and running, more farmers will opt to sell out their herds.
“We are in trouble. The ruminant industry can be saved by opening forage farms. This will have a mixture of grass and legumes, so the animals will have a combination of proteins, carbohydrates and fibres which will be nutritional. This would minimise on the dependent on imported feed.”
Mohammed also recommended the re-opening of the Mon Jaloux to prepare forage for the entire year.
“The land is already there, most of the equipment is there and there are trained staff in the ministry, so it is just a matter of getting the initiative back up. So, this will heavily subsidise the cost of feed and allow farmers to continue producing meat and milk.”
The ruminant industry, Mohammed said, does not have the necessary systems in place and predicted more farmers will sell out their farms.
He added that there was major disconnect between the educating bodies, the public sector and the private sector and recommended that there be focusing on producing feed locally and utilising non-conventional feed resources.
Minister in Ministry of Agriculture Avinash Singh said contrary to the farmers’ complaints the Mon Jaloux farm is operational and services livestock farmers on regular basis with grass.
He added that while the ministry is plagued with financial challenges, it still continues to subsidise farmers throughout the country.
“The Mon Jaloux farm that produces forage for farmers which are highly subsidised, if not free in some cases. With the reduction in revenues and allocations there may be some constraints.
“The Mon Jaloux facility is working and there for the farmers. To say it is not operational would be a lie. A farmer will never tell what incentives they received or the value. They don’t ever let the population know when they collect an incentive.”
Singh said there was not a decline in the sector but rather livestock farmers were showing an interest to start or expand their farms.
“The sector is not in trouble, but we must consider climate change and the global economic factors that impacts every country. We understand the cries of the farmers and have been tying to provide for those types of unplanned events.”
Nestle said previously it has over the last three years invested almost $10.5 million in the dairy industry which included a Dairy Development Bank in 2008 which assesses milk production and quality and also caters for forage and feeding, animal health, fertility and farmers’ entrepreneurial skills, veterinary services, artificial insemination and pregnancy diagnosis.
Additionally, the company introduced a corn silage initiative between 2018-2019 investing in equipment, training and technical support from veterinary and agricultural specialists.
In response to queries from Sunday Newsday about the viability of the industry, the ministry said the government provides subsidised institutional support service.
“Various activities have been undertaken to support the dairy subsector such as private partnerships, memorandum of understanding signed with Nestle TT Ltd that guarantees a minimum price for milk produced by farmer and transport.
In addition to the $1.50 per litre subsidy, farmers can claim up to $6,000 per hectare to establish pastures or fodder banks with approved or improved grasses, cereals and legumes; up to $30,000 on pre-approved animal housing, infrastructure and waste disposal; up to $50,000 on an approved milking system and or a bulk tank cooler, artificial insemination and clinical veterinary support, according to the ministry.
Agriculture Minister: Ministry investigating flooding at Poodai Lagoon in Penal
In addressing the Senate earlier this afternoon on the recent flooding at the Poodai Lagoon in Penal, Agriculture Minister, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat, said the process for providing financial assistance to farmers who experience natural disasters like flooding, for example, is well-established in the Ministry. “If farmers make a claim, the Ministry’s officers would visit the areas in which the complaints arise. Claims are processed and those that meet the qualifying criteria are paid”. He added, that this particular area is called the Poodai Lagoon in Penal, and is one of those areas that is normally under water during the rainy season.
The Minister added, that during the dry season these private lands comprising approximately one hundred and twenty acres are cultivated by about thirty-six (36) farmers. Farmers therefore would take a chance because the soil is very fertile. What has happened in recent times is that because of the unseasonal and excessive rain on two occasions, this has caused flooding in that area. Immediately following the flooding officers from the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries visited the affected area and have taken thirty-six (36) claims from the farmers who occupied the land. Of those claims twenty-three (23) were registered farmers.
The Ministry he said is in the process of conducting the necessary verification exercise but the area is still under water, so it’s difficult to verify the claims at this time. The Minister also noted in his response, that claims are approved for payment to Parliament and that the Minister of Finance has allocated nine million dollars for assistance to farmers who face flooding during this financial year. He estimated that the claims for Poodai lagoon could be around six hundred thousand dollars ($600,000.00) and the Ministry is in a position to pay those claims once the process is completed.
Bees in town: Apiaries inspector reports colonies thriving in dry season
By Jenelle De Souza
14/03/2021
Every year, the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries receives reports of someone being stung to death by bees.
“Mostly they are farmers or operators of machinery who are clearing land, but now we are seeing stinging incidents with people who are going fishing or hunting,” says Inspector of Apiaries, Hayden Sinanan.
Despite the danger, Sinanan has always had a fascination with bees. He recalled that his brothers used to keep European honey bees. One day, when he was around age ten, his brothers were moving a hive when it fell. The bees swarmed and many buzzed around him and landed on him, but none stung him.
“I was just curious and went with them to see. I didn’t have on any protective gear as I was just an onlooker. Maybe if they were Africanised bees I wouldn’t be here but that was my first interaction with them and ever since I’ve had a fascination with bees.”
Now, with 26 years of knowledge and practical experience under his belt, he is warning people to stop and backtrack if they encounter bees in their yards, while hiking, or taking part in any outdoor activity.
He explained that, in TT, there is heightened bee activity during the dry season, mainly because of habitat loss. Dry season is the time when state and private developers clear land to build houses and farmers clear land to prepare for planting crops.
On a tour of an apiary at the El Reposo Demonstration Station in Oropouche Road Sangre Grande, he showed how bees thrive in wooden hives, making thick honey-filled combs.
“People are looking at it as a problem with climate change and insects, but, in my opinion, that’s not all. They are coming out now because they don’t have the space they normally have.”
Also, he said, bee colonies develop at a faster rate during the dry season because it is the time forest trees and plants flower.
“So, you find bee colonies that rely heavily on flowers for their food would, of course, develop.”
He believes because of the restrictions, as well as the loss of jobs or reduction in income due to covid19, more people are trying farming, fishing and hunting to support their families or for recreation. People are visiting places they would not usually go and are interacting with bees more often.
Bees can be found in the forested areas as well as forest land which was cleared and there is tree regrowth. They also create nests in small cavities such as tyres, drums, and discarded appliances.
Trinidad has Africanised honey bees while Tobago has European honey bees. Both islands once had the more docile European bees but when the more defensive Africanised bees were introduced to Trinidad, they swarmed more often and out-populated the European and other solitary bees.
He stressed that, while the European bees are less aggressive than the Africanised bees, they are no less dangerous.
“The first thing is to try to keep away from them. So, if you encounter bees, the best thing to do is to move back in the direction from which you came. If there is a hive close by, 15 to 20 feet away or sometimes more, your first encounter would be bees coming and buzzing around you, checking you out, because you are becoming a threat to them.”
He said if bees are buzzing around and a person were to move closer to them, the bees would sting. Once the bees start to sting, the majority of the defending bees from the colony would attack en masse.
He explained, when bees sting a person, they deposit an “alarm pheromone” which encourages other bees do the same. Once they begin to attack, they would cover an area and attack anything that moves.
So, move away from where you see or suspect the hive to be and do not interfere with the hive, especially at this time of year. They are not like Jack Spaniards or wasps or “jeps” where a person can get close to attack a nest.
Also, find a way to cover your face as being stung there is very painful.
“If you see somebody being stung, you could cover yourself, carry a cover for them, and try to get them out. The person will still be stung and you may still be stung, but at least you might save a life.”
Insect repellent will not work. In fact, he said that could make things worse because bees are attracted to strong scents, including strong body odour and perfumes.
If you are stung, seek medical attention because most people do not know how their body will react to the venom. Removing the sting also would not help because the venom has already been deposited.
However, if you are far from a medical facility, removing the sting would prevent more venom from being pumped into the body’s system. Do not try to pinch it out as that would squeeze more venom into the body. Instead, try to scrape the sting off using a scraping and lifting motion.
Sinanan advised, if you see bees, contact the nearest Agriculture Ministry office to have the insects removed by one of Trinidad’s 400 active beekeepers, or one of Tobago’s 50 active beekeepers who would usually include the hive in their apiary. If the hive can not be removed, as a last resort, it would be destroyed.
Why a last resort? Because bees are nature’s best pollinators and are very important to the environment.
“They take a flower of agricultural importance, pollinate it, and cause that plant to produce fruits or seeds for human consumption. At strength, a colony would have 20,000 to 60,000 bees in it and at any point in time you could have 80 per cent of them coming out to do pollination on agricultural crops and forest species.
“One third of the food we eat is because of the pollination done by pollinators and, more so, by honey bees. As Einstein said, if bees were to die out, humans would only live for about four years.”
Sinanan is contributing to human survival by being one of the country’s 450 beekeepers.
While working in the ministry, he indicated his interest in beekeeping and, in 1994, became a beekeeping officer. At the Eastern Caribbean Institute of Agriculture and Forestry he completed a diploma in agriculture which had one class in beekeeping. This was not enough for Sinanan so he did his own research and sought advice from local, regional, and international beekeepers.
As a beekeeping officer from 1994 to 2018, he taught three training courses in TT and other Caribbean countries annually. After completing his official training and becoming a beekeeping officer, he got into beekeeping as a business as well as for use in practical instruction in his courses.
In 2014 he was given the opportunity to become the Inspector of Apiaries, which is not a paid position, but which he happily does in addition to his other duties as an Agricultural Assistant III.
“I am very passionate about it. Really, I always had an interest in beekeeping because I am a person to respect the environment, to do whatever I could to help maintain or develop the environment in terms of flora and fauna.”
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Closure of the 2020-2021 Hunting Season
The Public is hereby notified of the closure of the 2020-2021 Hunting Season effective March 1st, 2021 and the following will apply:
I. Hunting activity of game animals must be ceased on all lands of Trinidad and Tobago.
II. Persons have until March 31st, 2021 to dispose of Game Animal carcasses (or any part thereof) from their property and or their possession.
III. Holders of Hunting Permits purchased for the 2020-2021 Hunting Season must submit the Mandatory Data Return Forms on or before May 31st, 2021. Failure to comply may result in summary conviction of Five Thousand Dollars (TT$5000.00) per data form.
Mandatory Data Forms can be submitted to any of the following stations:
- District Revenue Office, Tunapuna
- Forestry Office, Rio Claro
- District Revenue Office, Chaguanas
- Forestry Division, Long Circular Road, St. James
- Forestry Division, Balisier Avenue, Pleasantville, San Fernando
- Forestry Division, Sangre Grande
- District Revenue Office, Sangster Hill, Scarborough, Tobago
- Inland Revenue Office, Roxborough, Tobago
NB. Following the Ministry’s strict COVID -19 Protocol, persons may be required to use our drop-boxes at these locations and will be contacted by the Forestry Division in due course for the collection of their acknowledgement receipt.
Denny Dipchansingh
Conservator of Forests/ Chief Game Warden
