Cattle breeding, production up, says Witter as Minard Festival returns
Published:Wednesday | November 16, 2022 | 12:08 AMCarl Gilchrist/Gleaner Writer
Noting that the gene pool of local cattle is seeing an improvement, the agriculture ministry is expecting further growth this year, building on the increase in the production of beef and pork for the local market seen last year.
Speaking at the 21st staging of the Minard Livestock Show and Beef Festival in Brown’s Town, St Ann, on Thursday, Agriculture and Fisheries State Minister Franklin Witter disclosed that there is a rebound in production in most categories of livestock.
“The ministry remains committed to resuscitating the industry and we are pleased to note it has been on the rebound, reflecting increased production for most categories of livestock in 2021. Beef and pork production reflected an increase of 10.2 and 8.2 per cent, respectively,” Witter stated.
He said that the ministry is expecting the birth of 29 calves under its National Livestock Genetic Improvement Programme. The calves, which were conceived locally through artificial insemination, are from the stock of Jamaica-registered cattle breed and include eight Jamaica Red Poll, six Jamaica Brahman and 15 Jamaica Black cattle.
The programme is being implemented at Minard Estate, which, years ago, under the expertise of the late Dr Thomas Lecky, bred and registered those three breeds of cattle.
INITIATIVES
Witter also commended the Jamaica Dairy Development Board (JDDB) for its work with farmers, educational institutions and the private sector in implementing several initiatives aimed at improving the dairy sector. These initiatives include the securing of 250 heifers as part of the Heifer Redevelopment Programme, under which the animals will be distributed among dairy farmers’ groups and agricultural educational institutions; the establishment of more than 112 hectares of pasture fodder banks and production of 345 tons of silage; and the provision of several concessional loans to beef and cattle farmers.
The JDDB is to purchase 20 mobile milking machines to boost productivity among small dairy farmers, giving them the ability to milk animals twice per day.
Meanwhile, Jamaica 4-H Clubs Executive Director Dr Ronald Blake is lamenting that while the number of livestock farmers has grown by 754 over the last two years, there are no cattle farmers among the new entrants.
“And we’re going to change that. I want at least 20 new livestock farmers who are cattle farmers,” Blake is insisting.
Chickens, goats and pigs are among the most popular animals reared in Jamaica on a commercial level.
The Minard Livestock Show and Beef Festival, which returned this year after a two-year break because of COVID-19, attracted a huge turnout, with hundreds of students from schools across Jamaica.
The perennial dust problem that exists on the road leading to the main venue once again proved to be a nuisance, but, once through that, patrons enjoyed the excitement of the event.
The efforts by students to catch goats and calves in the popular scramble again provided a lot of excitement for patrons.
Winston Thomas, senior regional technical sales manager of title sponsors, Nutramix, said that the company will remain associated with the event “in a big way for many years to come”.